Orlando, Fla. — A+ Teacher Coralis Zoe Moreno says what she does for a living is much more than just a job, it is a calling.
What You Need To Know
Coralis Zoe Moreno teaches kindergarteners at Orange Center Elementary School
Moreno says a chance encounter inspired her to teach
She finds joy in every moment she sees them learning something new
Here’s how you can nominate an A+ Teacher 🍎
Coralis Zoe Moreno’s kindergarten students at Orange Center Elementary School were decked out in lab coats and had goggles on their heads this week. The students were soaking up the knowledge during their science experiment.
“When they are able to read their first words, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, I was able to read.’ So I think that’s so exciting and joyful to see them enjoy learning and enjoying being here and just feeling like a part of it,” she said about her students.
Moreno finds joy in every moment she sees them learn something new.
“It’s not only teaching letters and sounds it’s like touching them for life. It’s like hearing them out. It’s showing them love. Showing them that you care,” she said.
A chance encounter when Moreno was a high school senior changed the path of her life forever.
“I saw this girl and she was deaf and couldn’t communicate with anyone. She was like feeling left out and by then I was taking a sign language class randomly and I was able to talk to her. Her face was so lit up that someone was able to communicate with her just to simply hear her out. And after that I went home and was like I’m going to be a teacher,” she said.
Moreno believes education is everything.
“That’s what I want to do. I want to see that joy in other kid’s faces. It is important just to learn how to do things on your own. Be independent. Work well with others. It’s a lot more than learning the alphabet and numbers,” she said.