When Pam Salazar arrives for her social studies classes at Cairo Elementary School, she's already been on the road for an hour. Making the daily commute from east of Paducah, Kentucky, Salazar says the drive is "worth it," adding with a smile that one benefit is having the sun behind her both ways.

"I absolutely love it here," says Salazar, who teaches social studies to third through sixth graders. "I love it. I plan on retiring here if they'll have me."

Now in her fifth year at Cairo Elementary, Salazar is thriving in the school's new intermediate model. Rather than teaching all subjects to one grade level, teachers are now departmentalized, with students rotating through social studies, science, reading, language arts, and math—similar to a middle school approach.

"The kids do better that way," Salazar explains. "We're seeing growth, and it's nice to be able to focus on one or two subject areas. Even though you've got a span of grade levels, it's still growing in one or two subjects instead of having to hit everything."

For Salazar, the transition was natural. "My background is high school, middle school, so it's an easy transition for me because my brain thinks that way," she says.

That background includes an impressively diverse educational and career journey. A 1986 graduate of Livingston Central High School in Kentucky, Salazar earned undergraduate degrees in special education and elementary education from Southern Illinois University. Her career has taken her from teaching high school special education in Kentucky to an elementary school with over 600 students in Pasadena, Texas.

At one point, feeling "burned out" on education, Salazar operated a child care center (licensed for 40 children) for five years. She's also taught GED classes at an Adult Learning Center and has a master's degree in special education from Murray State University. She even completed six credit hours of law school at SIU before deciding the expense was prohibitive.

"I honestly feel like I've done pretty much everything," she says, and her resume supports that claim. Beyond her teaching career, Salazar has been a lifeguard, swim instructor, and certified diver, and has shown horses. Most notably, she's been teaching gymnastics since 1986, converting a barn into her first teaching space.

Today, Salazar still runs a gymnastics program two evenings a week in Kentucky. "It's a good balance," she explains. "It's physical." She hopes to collaborate with Cairo's cheerleading coach, Monica Woodson, to incorporate tumbling skills after the cheerleading season ends. "I get excited when I think about the potential, the ability of these kids, because they just can do it."

What Salazar appreciates most about Cairo Elementary is the authenticity of its people. "They're real, you know, they're just genuine here. And everybody I work with has a heart for kids."

She notes the special dedication of staff who grew up in Cairo. "The people who are here from here, are especially driven to help kids here succeed," she observes. "They've got potential, and we work together to pull it out of them."

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Salazar has raised a daughter who is about to become the first female graduate of the University of Kentucky's undergraduate aerospace program. She has also raised six stepchildren to self-sufficient adulthood, including one who works as a nurse. When not teaching, she helps her mother care for horses, chickens, and other animals on her small farm.

For all her diverse experiences and the hour-long commute each way, Salazar remains enthusiastic about Cairo Elementary. "This district deserves it," she says, referring to the positive attention the school has received. "It's special."

Her philosophy centers on preparing students for their futures: "We need to make sure these kids are in a place when they're old enough to have options and make the world a better place."