Finding herself trying to learn her way around SHS, Kelly Nickson is getting used to teaching a new group of students entirely her own for the first time.

“I love Southport High School,” Nickson said. “I like the staff. I like the students. I think [SHS has] a beautiful building, too. So far all good things. I really love it here.”

Nickson has been through school and student teaching at Decatur Central High School to prepare her for the real thing, something she really enjoys at SHS for the first time.

Nickson can be found in room 136 teaching Algebra I and II. She says that although SHS is different than Decatur Central High School, student teaching still prepared her for it, even though there is a difference in the students.

“The student body here is a little different than what I saw there,” Nickson said. “I find it that the staff is really friendly here, but I felt prepared by student teaching.”

Junior Macy Judd was nervous about transitioning from her previous Algebra 2 teacher to Nickson. She says it is much better now, enjoying how Nickson teaches.

“It’s a lot better than it was the first few days,” Judd said. “I learned a lot more from her than I thought I was going to.”

Judd likes Nickson as a person and teacher, saying that Nickson is not only a sweet person, but a good teacher.

“I think she’s a really good teacher,” Judd said. “She does a lot of explaining and she really does relate to the students as well…She’s just a really sweet person.”

Nickson hopes to get to know each of her students on a “one-to-one basis” and make sure they feel more confident in math. She also hopes her students learn a valuable lesson about math or general skills.

She has been enjoying every step of the way there, saying meeting new people is the best part of her teaching experience.

“I’ve had a lot of fun meeting the students,” Nickson said. “I like meeting new people, and it’s been fun getting to know everybody. I’m still continuing to get to know everybody. That’s one of the things I really like about it.”