Tammy Wallis (Stafford Principal) wanted to come up with a way for teachers to be recognized for their outstanding teaching skills and hard work they put in everyday. Thus, the Teacher’s Heart Award.

The recipient of the Teacher’s Heart Award is selected by all the teachers. They get together and talk about who they think is an outstanding teacher. So this award is decided by the teacher’s peers.

Delaine Meeks was awarded the Teacher’s Heart Award for the month of September.

Reasons Delaine was nominated were explained by teachers that work with her everyday. "She is always willing to work with all students in every course. She is kind, caring and truly loves every child. Delaine communicates and collaborates in the school community to help achieve the success for teachers. She works diligently with her students to help them be successful. She is always reading, researching, and learning about new ideas and techniques to assist her students. She goes above and beyond to help and she does it with a smile on her face. She is flexible and has the willingness to help out where ever there is a need. She is creative and often helps make a “blah” topic fun and exciting. She is kind and supportive of all students and teachers."

Delaine has taught for seven years. For two years she taught at First Christian Elementary, a private school in Waxahachie, where she taught fourth and fifth graders in a combined classroom. The last five years she has been teaching at Stafford Elementary as a Special Education teacher.

Ms. Meeks stated, “I love Special Ed it is my favorite. I have a passion for these kids. I think it is because I get to help a small group of kids and these kids depend on me and my team. It is different when you sit down with a few then it is when you sit down with a whole group of them because you know those kids are depending on you to get them through. So when they do succeed it is such a good feeling. I get to concentrate on those particular kids non stop and I, like every teacher, go to bed thinking about my school kids.”

Meeks went on to say, “Teaching is one of the hardest jobs you will ever do because it is like having your own kids. At night I think, what can I do to help them out, when they are having problems in a certain area, or what can I do to get through to them. Teachers work hard. I think a lot of times parents don’t realize that their kids are our kids also and they go home with us mentally every night. I treat my kids here just like I would treat my kids at home and how I would want other teachers treating my kids. I love them, I discipline them, I give them lectures just like I do my own kids. I really love them. I wish I could take them home. I am an inclusion teacher also, so I have kids that come out to me to get special instruction and I also help those kids in that classroom and other struggling kids that are not special ed. I have a wonderful team made up of Misty Esqemelia, Tomeka Green (aids), Clover Styles (PPCD teacher), Teresa Young (Inclusion) and Beverly Cox (CBI) and together we work for the good of the students.”

There were six other teachers that were nominated for the award. They are: Peri Patterson, Sharan Farmer, Jan Shepard, Charlotte Morgan, Jeanette Janek and April Mathers. When asked what they thought about being nominated for the Teacher’s Heart Award they said, “This is a huge honor especially to be selected by your peers. I think it is fantastic. It is an honor to be recognized by your peers you work with everyday but you don’t realize that they see qualities in you that you never realized you had.”

Jeanette Janek (one of the nominees) said, “It is just an honor to be standing up here with these teachers that I so much admire and to be part of them and one of them.”

When asked how she felt about being selected for the Teacher’s Heart Award, Delaine replied, “I think it is nice to be honored by your peers. I thank Miss Wallis for recognizing us. She is the one that got this started and I think that is a very nice thing for her to do. I thank the teachers for everything they teach me every day.”

Congratulations Delaine Meeks!