Celebrating National Principals Month: Erica Morrie at Indian Knoll ES!

October is National Principals Month! Our Principals are amazing instructional leaders dedicated to ensuring our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else!  We’re recognizing these inspiring leaders with special posts throughout the month. Please join us in thanking them for all they do to support our mission of being the highest performing school district in Georgia.  

Indian Knoll Elementary School Principal Erica Morrie

Why did you want to become a teacher?
From early on, I remember pretending to be a teacher, making class roles, fake lessons, and grade books for my made-up students.  This passion for teaching carried with me through my high school years as I tutored, babysat, interned in classrooms, and worked with daycares.  My heart grew bigger with each experience and taught me that my future had to involve helping kids be the best versions of themselves.  Though I am a Principal, teaching still remains my highest accomplishment in my career because of the instant gratification of daily teachable moments from my students, who also inspired me to be my best self for them.
 
Who was the most influential teacher in your life?
This is easy!  Mrs. Darsch was my third-grade teacher, and I will always be thankful for her love, compassion, and guidance.  At the time, my parents were divorcing, and the news struck our family hard.  I had lost any motivation for learning, and I became a class clown to avoid any sad feelings from my home life.  Yes, I was that student.  The one who talked all the time, laughed when I should have been paying attention, and distracted others with my silly behaviors.  Instead of penalizing me over and over, Mrs. Darsch decided to take a different approach.  She invited me to "lunch and learns" to help me catch up on missed work, she got to know me on a personal level, shared some of her personal stories, and challenged me to be a leader in her class.  The love and respect showed me that it is OK to be vulnerable with your students, and they will love and respect you more if they get to see that side of you.
 
What’s a favorite memory from your first year as a teacher?
There are so many memories that have stuck with me from that first year, but my most memorable was working with two students who were diagnosed with dyslexia.  It was a huge learning curve for me because I was in my first year and just getting to know all the things they don’t teach you in college.  I was amazed by how one of the Special Education teachers took me under her wing to help with strategies and resources so my students could be successful.  I ended up tutoring both students after school, and with all the hard work, both students were able to successfully read, write, and pass the standardized test at the end of the year.  They really taught me more than I could ever teach them!
 
How did teaching prepare you to be a Principal?
Teaching showed me there is more than one way of doing things, and having a team is the only way to survive.  To this day, there is no way I could ever be a successful Principal without valuing feedback from others, collaborating with students and teachers to solve problems, and working with stakeholders to gain new perspectives.  Moving from classroom teacher to building leader didn’t change my perspectives, but it did open the door to more possibilities.  What I love most is presenting those possibilities and seeing how they evolve and develop through the collective efforts of others.

#CCSDElevateTheExcellence #ThankAPrincipal