Chaos before the calm in one CMS classroom

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– As Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools welcomes students back for a new school year, teachers have been doing plenty of homework of their own.

At Lawrence Orr Elementary School, kindergarten teacher and Teacher of the Year Christina Brown is transforming her classroom from piles of supplies and boxes into what she proudly calls “Brown University.”

Brown says getting the room ready can take nearly two weeks, but preparing mentally for a new group of kindergarteners is just as important. She wants students walking into her classroom for the first time to feel welcomed, comfortable and ready to learn.

And once class begins, Brown says it’s “all gas and no brakes.” There are no naps in her kindergarten classroom — there’s simply too much learning to do.

Known around the school as the teacher who seems to have everything — from classroom supplies to laundry detergent and even a bobby pin — Brown says her biggest goal is making sure her students have what they need to succeed.