Golden Apple Teacher Ann-Marie McCullough

ABUQUERQUE (KRQE) - First grade is a very important time in a child's life and education and that's just one reason one Golden Apple Award recipient loves her job so much.

Ann-Marie McCullough hopes these kids can do that and with her help, most of them can.

They are all first graders at Manzano Day School, where McCullough is loving being in the classroom.

“Of all the grades, well I have taught 1st through 5th and I think what draws me to first grade is it's kind of the beginning of the road,” McCullough said. “I get to see where the start happens.”

Plus McCullough gets to make sure that start gets off to a good start and these kids make a very important transition, between kindergarten and second grade.

“They’re going along and it's hard and it's difficult and they miss kindergarten and all of a sudden they're these independent creatures and they have these concepts they want to work out with you and it's incredible,” McCullough said.

They may not always have the concepts when they start in McCullough class, utthey do at the end.
  
McCullough was a finalist for a Golden Apple Award three years ago.