‘Kids are watching’: Rep. Hayes visits students at Woodbury Middle School

Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Democrat from Connecticut’s 5th District and former National Teacher of the Year, returned to her roots Friday during a visit to Woodbury Middle School.
The former teacher is the first African American woman to represent the state. She took questions from eighth graders at the school regarding how she spends her days on Capitol Hill, how she handles stress and her thoughts on the impeachment probe.
Hayes also talked about taking ownership for your words. She says before she says anything publicly, she always thinks, "Is this something I would say in my classroom in front of my kids."
Hayes says the students were “thoughtful” and “tuned in.”
Sage Samuelson got more than just an answer from Hayes - Sage asked for an autograph."Even before we talked about her in class, I knew who she was and she was like one of my idols," said Sage.
“It was really a good reminder for me that children are watching what we're doing,” she told News 12. “I think that's a message that all of my colleagues should heed – that kids are watching us.”