On a calm Thursday morning, our Matrix Head Start Salem Center was surprised when Mix 92.3 Detroit radio showed up to present Ms. Plair, a Matrix Head Start teacher of 5 years, with an award for being “Teacher of the Week.”
“I was kinda caught off guard a little… I think it was Tuesday, someone told me that they heard my name on the radio. I went on social media to look if there was some type of announcement, but I didn’t see anything, so I kinda had it in my mind, but I kinda let it go too. Then yesterday, when I saw the FA walk in and someone from the news station walk in, that’s when I was kinda caught off guard.”
Of course, it all wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the thoughtful parent who nominated her, Jasmine Abbott.
“One of my parents, Jasmine Abbott, her son is in my class, she said one morning she was listening to the radio and they were asking the community to nominate teachers and she told me she actually wanted to nominate me and my teacher partner, but she could only nominate one and she said she just went with me.”
“It was an exciting moment, it was… Emotional in a good way, because like I said it kinda caught me off guard and I really didn’t expect anything that major so, it was a lot of emotions involved.”
The Teacher of the Week award included a plaque and some gift cards for the “Outstanding Contributions and Dedications to the Students of Matrix Head Start Salem Center” demonstrated by Ms. Plair.
“I got two gift cards, I have an American Express Gift Card, and I have a Kroger Gift Card, and I also have a gift certificate for chocolate covered strawberries.”
“(The plaque) is already on my wall… at home.”
And when it comes to what made Jasmine (our Matrix Head Start parent) nominate Ms. Plair in the first place,
“From what she said, she just said that she appreciates the extra work I put in to making sure the kids are OK, that they’re learning… And also, I feel that I keep an open line of communication with my parents. I’m always updating them on their progress, I’m always welcoming them to the classroom, I’m always starting projects in the classroom that involve parents. I’m big on parent volunteer, I’m big on activities, hands on activities for the children. And then I’m also, as a teacher, I purchase a lot things out of my pocket for the children. I put a lot of effort into my classroom. So I think that kinda, some parents see that, so that could be why.”
Congratulations Ms. Plair, we are so lucky to have great teachers like you!
Ms. Plair’s class
