A teacher playing a drum with a student.

Kellie Moses, a dedicated music educator at Garth Elementary (Scott County), was named a 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year finalist and winner of the elementary school teaching division at a ceremony held on Sept. 9 in Frankfort. Moses said she is committed to providing music education experiences for all students and that it is a primary vehicle for developing the whole child. She said throughout her career she has remained committed to creating a welcoming learning environment where every student feels valuable and connected. Photo provided by Kellie Moses

(FRANKFORT, KY) – For Kellie Moses, music has always been about more than just making music, it is creating a place where each student can belong, grow and find their voice.

Moses, an elementary general music and choir teacher, was named a 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year finalist and winner of the elementary school teaching division at a ceremony held on Sept. 9 in Frankfort.

Moses is currently in her 25th year teaching music at Garth Elementary (Scott County), where she has spent her entire teaching career.

“I have worked with some of the most remarkable educators my entire career. Honored is not a big enough word, but if I could say anything, it is most certainly a thank you to every educator I have had,” Moses said. “I could never make it this far and have an honor this big without everything they provided to me, the people that have taught me and the people that I have taught with and learned with.”

Moses has worn many hats in her 24 years with Scott County Schools, including as a K-5 music educator for Garth Elementary, as a choral director for Garth Elementary for 4th- and 5th-grade ensembles, a string and percussion director for Garth Elementary, and as an interim assistant choral director at Scott County High School for 9th through 12th-grade ensembles.

Moses says she has always been invested in music and music education since participating in her first musical, “Annie,” at the Lexington Opera House when she was in the 3rd grade.

“I knew I loved working with children and I also loved music, so once I got to high school and had some other opportunities that my awesome teachers had given to me, I knew that I wanted to go into education,” she said.

Moses said throughout her career she has been committed to providing music education experiences that empower student growth. She said she believes music education is a primary vehicle for developing the whole child. Her unique approach has integrated Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy with Modern Band frameworks into the district, creating a classroom that is both rigorous and culturally responsive.

Moses has worked to design and implement general music curriculum for K-5 students, integrate core content strands and culturally responsive pedagogy, and establish after-school ensemble initiatives designed to remove barriers for historically underrepresented students, leading to increased diverse student participation.

“I have had the privilege of teaching at the same Title I school for my entire 24-year career. Throughout that time, I have remained deeply committed to creating a learning environment where every student feels valued, capable and connected,” she said.

Moses said in a community where economic and achievement gaps persist, intentionally building culture through trust, collaboration and shared purpose is essential to student success.

An initiative started by Moses that shows this commitment is Musical Storybook Night, a cross-curricular project designed to strengthen literacy while building relationships between students, families and staff.

Moses said this project stemmed from her work with a small 2nd-grade reading group, where assessment data showed ongoing challenges in reading fluency and comprehension. She said in collaboration with the classroom teacher, she analyzed student needs and designed an experience that would engage multiple learning styles while providing purposeful literary practice.

Moses partnered with their family resource office to ensure that every participating or attending student received a book, reinforcing access to literacy materials at home.

She said during the event, she shared clear learning goals with families and modeled simple, music-based strategies they could use to support reading at home, such as creating melodies for characters, using body percussion to build soundscapes, and encouraging expressive retelling of stories.

Today, Musical Storybook Night is an established annual event on the school calendar and has positively influenced students who attend.

Moses said she is constantly seeking engaging opportunities for her students to grow through music. Recently, after securing funds and donations for a classroom set of ukuleles, she spent the summer learning to play, attending professional development and researching best practices to create a leveled curriculum tailored to her students.

She said when the ukuleles were introduced, excitement spread throughout the school and they eagerly began the unit. Moses said ukulele instruction allows students to analyze authentic music, apply musical terminology, create songs independently and in small groups, and perform music from various cultures and styles.

Through learning to play the dulcimer, the Kentucky state instrument, 5th-graders learned the classic folk song, “Shady Grove” to highlight keeping the steady beat and singing the melody simultaneously. Moses said this Appalachian song, created by Kentucky’s own Jean Richie, always aligns well with the 4th-grade social studies curriculum.

She said she likes to differentiate instruction using structured partner work and rotating centers, grouping students by strengths and needs so she can provide individualized support in areas such as finger placement, note reading and technique to allow all students to experience success.

Moses said educators collaborate at her school by doing units together to show students how applicable their education is inside and outside of the building. When she has a free planning period, Moses will go sit in a classroom and watch how their center rotations work and apply those tactics into her own classroom.

“I feel like it’s important to know that those of us who have specialties are also very capable of working together with classroom teachers and integrating what we do with their curriculum,” she said. “It’s a really nice thing that we can show the students how we can work together to make their education top-notch.”

Moses said differentiation also allows her to create adaptive solutions. One 2nd-grade student with a transverse limb deficiency inspired her to design a strumming device so she could play chords by herself. With creativity and collaboration, this 3D model allowed her to participate alongside her classmates.

“My goal is to provide educational yet enjoyable experiences that foster kindness, empathy and musical exploration. I want Garth Elementary students to leave as well-rounded young scholars who value teamwork, cultural understanding and the joy of making music,” she said.