A man in a turtle costume stood in a room off the main library at Templeton Elementary, alongside a big ole check 鈥� but that鈥檚 not why this teacher ended up feeling so appreciated.
To celebrate alums from the University of Maryland’s Education Department, Dean Kimberly Griffin, a team of professors and Testudo, the Terrapin mascot, traveled around the D.C. area with a big surprise.
Their first stop was Templeton Elementary School, which is based in Riverdale but currently set up in Landover while a new school is built.
Shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, Elizabeth Pandya, an English language development teacher at Templeton 鈥� which is as big a melting pot of a school you鈥檒l ever find 鈥� walked into the room to a huge cheer.
Pandya, who started at Maryland for her undergrad and continued through graduate school, was nearly on the verge of tears.
鈥淵ou are one of our truly favorites,鈥� Griffin said to a room full of Pandya鈥檚 colleagues, as well as a group of fifth grade students.
鈥淥ur hearts were touched by the ways that you show up for your students and allow them to be their true and whole selves in their classrooms every day,鈥� Griffin said.
The most touching moment came when the students, standing in the back of the room, were asked why they thought Pandya was the best. No one hesitated to offer up their opinions 鈥� and praise.
鈥淪he is a really good teacher, and she’s super kind and teaches us a lot of stuff,鈥� one student said afterward.
鈥淪he’s the best teacher, and she teaches me a lot,鈥� said another.
鈥淪he teaches me English, and she was my LD teacher,鈥� said a third. 鈥淓very time in the morning and afternoon, she was pulling me so I learned English with her.鈥�
And then a fourth student summed it up, saying, 鈥淪he’s a good teacher, because if you don’t know something, she’ll teach it to you right away, and you’ll catch on by the way that she adapts to you and helps you learn.鈥�
And there was still more praise after that.
鈥淟isten, I’m having a moment,鈥� said Pandya, when it was her turn to speak. 鈥淚 am rarely, genuinely surprised. I am very, very shocked and honored, but shocked.鈥�
And all of that was before Griffin then presented Pandya with a check for $1,000.
鈥淲e know our teachers give a lot, we know that they don’t make a lot, but we want to give you a little gift to let you know how much we appreciate you and that we see you and how you show up for your community every day,鈥� Griffin said.
鈥淭his is our special event,鈥� Griffin later said in an interview. 鈥淪o we’re going out and celebrating three teachers this year and letting them know how much we appreciate them.鈥�
After visiting Templeton Elementary, the UMD team went to Montgomery County to surprise and honor two more teachers: Daniel Stein, who teaches at Northwood High School, and Sergio Cabrera, who teaches at Mill Creek Towne Elementary School.
鈥淲e really need to think about how we celebrate our teachers and elevate their role in our society,鈥� Griffin said. 鈥淣othing gets accomplished without teachers. We don’t have doctors, lawyers, engineers, without good teachers.鈥�
Throughout the quick ceremony, Pandya kept going back to how much she loves her job, and her schools, both Templeton where she works, and Maryland, where she鈥檚 about to graduate with her Ph.D.
鈥淢y job means the world to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I just love my students and I love being able to give back to the community. So this is just a big surprise.”
鈥淢y hope is that we just can get more educators and more partners in our school to support our students,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be a Terp.”
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