MILLERSVILLE -- Jackson schoolteacher Patricia Smith thinks teaching first-graders requires a positive approach and a "Can Do" attitude. Smith, who teachers at Millersville Attendance Center, said she works hard to make the classroom fun and inviting for her students.

"I want the students to feel safe, secure, challenged and unafraid to try new things," said the 21-year teaching veteran. "I believe that if a child has a high self-esteem, a positive attitude toward learning and a willingness o try, success will follow."

Smith said a hands-on approach makes learning fun and enriching for students. One of her favorite tools for practicing sentence-building skills involves circle time, a group activity that combines skill-building practice with opportunities to boost self-esteem.

"We all sit on the floor in a circle and pass around a star baton," Smith said. "I start by saying an incomplete sentence such as "I feel good about myself when I ..." and then I pass the baton. Each student repeats the phrase and puts his own ending on it. It really works."

Smith said teachers of young children are the molders of the future. They play a great part in determining a child's success in school and in life.

"We have an awesome responsibility," she said. "I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to play a part in shaping and molding these young lives."