ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County A+ Teacher Nicole Filmore was nominated by her principal who says she has a giant heart, is patient, fun, and sets high expectations.

Filmore says, "I try to tell the kids, ‘You know your brain believes whatever you tell it so if you tell your brain you can't do it, you might not be able to. So make sure you're telling your brain, “I can do it, I can do it, and I can do it.” That way you really can.’"

Watching the fun her 4- and 5-year-old students and watching them soak up the knowledge is infectious. It's hard to tell who is having more fun.

Filmore admits, "I honestly did not see myself teaching. My bachelor’s degree is in fashion, so I did a complete pivot."

It's a pivot that's paying off.

Eleven years of teaching and counting. She says she has no regrets about her career choice.

"I knew that I didn't fall into my temporary para-professional job on accident. The moment I start doing it I was like this is where I'm supposed to be," she said.

Her students are benefiting and they're thriving.

She said, "I just think it's so important that the students know how much they're loved by me. I want them to know that I value them and I want them to every day come in knowing that I’m happy to see them."

Filmore says it's all about the connection.

When asked how she does it, Filmore says with a chuckle, "I listen to them. One thing about kids is they love to talk and in the classroom, we're almost wanting them to not talk as much so we can teach them. Practice makes progress. We're not looking for perfection."

"So when you say, ‘You know, this is hard.’ I say, ‘Yeah! I can see that. It's supposed to be but you can still do it,’" she said.