Pensacola kindergarten teacher named semifinalist in America's Favorite Teacher contest
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Pensacola kindergarten teacher Emerald Barton has been named a semifinalist in America's Favorite Teacher contest with a chance to win $25,000 a trip to Hawaii and appear in Reader's Digest.
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Voting is now open and will close at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Barton has been teaching for over 10 years, having spent her last nine years at Navy Point Elementary School in Pensacola. She said she couldn't love her 21 kindergarten students any more than she does.
'Funny thing is I was going to teach literally anything but kindergarten, but this was the only position that was open 10 years ago, and I fell in love,' Barton said.
Barton shares the semifinalist honor alongside 127 other teachers across the country.
Barton poses in front of her class before a field trip. (Courtesy of Emerald Barton)
'It means a lot because it goes to show that all of the work that I have put in, there is a reward for that, and to have the support that I've had during this contest has been absolutely fantastic,' she said.
She believes her communication and organization skills inside the classroom shine through most authentically to her students.
'I talk to them as a human being because they are a human being,' Barton said. 'Sometimes, when you do the super baby talk with them, they can see right through that.'
'I think we always become a family, and I think because we become a family that really help the dynamics of the classroom,' she said.
Barton feels it's important that kindergarten teachers are represented through this contest.
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'I think to have the country represented by a kindergarten teacher would be fantastic,' Barton said. 'I'm teaching not only academic skills but life skills, social skills, emotional skills, and I don't think people really realize how impactful kindergarten is in general.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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