COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — Students at Coopersville High School surprised our next Teacher of the Week in a different language. Luckily, she knew exactly what they said.
The students said “congratulations” in Spanish.
Our latest Teacher of the Week, Amy Matzen, said, “I was very confused. I did not have a clue what was going on.”
That’s not because she didn’t understand. Matzen teaches upper-level Spanish.
Tricia McPheron is the principal at Coopersville High School. She said, “Well, first of all, I cannot thank you enough. Watching WZZM and seeing this weekly – it really warms your heart to see the impact that we have on a daily basis.”
“That feels amazing. It’s just great to hear that there’s somebody that appreciates what we do on a day-to-day basis and just in general, for all of us teachers, how much we work, and it’s nice to be appreciated for that,” said Matzen.
She’s from West Michigan and is now teaching at the same high school her parents attended, but she didn’t start in education.
“I first got my college degree in accounting, and I just did not enjoy the job. It just wasn’t really for me,” said Matzen.
So, she went back to school for teaching and found it to be the perfect fit, saying, “I just love being a teacher.”
“She does so much for students. She is an incredible, beyond instructor. She meets their needs where they are, and she gets them to levels that are pretty exceptional,” said McPheron.
Matzen said it’s not always the easiest job but is always rewarding.
“Obviously, we get tired sometimes, but they keep me going because I just look forward to seeing their faces. They are what make me look forward to going to school every day.”
If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, just text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.
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