Mrs. Ott's Kindergarten Class 2022-23

About me

My name is Emily Ott. I live in Elizabethtown with my husband Brenden and our two cats Jean and Josie. This is my 5th year teaching. I am a graduate of Western Kentucky University, and John Hardin High School. My mom, Kristin Gani and my mother-in-law, Lorie Ott are both retired teachers. Lorie retired from G.C. Burkhead as a Kindergarten teacher and my mom retired from New Highland Elementary as a Counselor. Growing up watching my mom impact the lives of so many people is what inspired me to become an educator. I decided to become a teacher to encourage, lead and inspire others around me to be the best versions of themselves from wherever they are.

My mom's experience as a counselor has made me passionate about investing in the emotional well being just as much as our education. These are some of the lessons I have taken from my years as a teacher and from my mom.

• Children are people before they are anything else. They deserve respect as if the 45 year old version of them can see and hear how they are being spoken to and treated.

• People do not learn if they are not safe, fed and happy.

• I teach our students to be kind first to themselves, then to others.

• I teach them to say, "Please don't do that again," instead of, "It's okay," when someone hurts them.

• I teach our students about integrity and determination.

• Mistakes are necessary to learn.

• They are someone to be loved and not someone who just messes up.

• We are allowed to feel our feelings, no matter how small the issue may seem to someone else.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.