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Gateway teacher Miss Farmer celebrates after surprise announcement at St. Louis school
Summary
Miss Farmer, a first-grade teacher at Gateway in St. Louis City, said she was surprised by a principal nnouncement the day before spring break and celebrated with her students; colleagues praised her weekend tutoring and commitment to reading instruction.
Miss Farmer, a first-grade teacher at Gateway in St. Louis City, said she was surprised when the principal announced, "we have a special announcement," the day before spring break and then told her she had won it; she said she immediately celebrated with her students.
The announcement came during a school gathering in the gym, where Miss Farmer said she felt nervous before the principal spoke. "I felt myself being nervous and rocking around and, like, wondering, like, oh, how am I gonna react when they say this?" she said. After the announcement she said, "I immediately, like, went to my kids, store high fiving them. My principal was trying to get me to come back. I said, no. Wait. Hold on 1 minute. I gotta continue to celebrate with my kids, because that's why I'm here."
The moment was followed by public praise from school staff recorded in the meeting. One staff member said Miss Farmer "excels beyond just being an educator within the school" and noted she "also tutors kids on the weekends" and "takes them to the zoo, different places to really get them to explore Saint Louis and explore their thinking, explore their mind." Another staff member said, "She's more than just an educator, she's an innovator when it comes to educating the whole child."
Miss Farmer described her classroom focus on reading: "I'm relentless in teaching children, especially reading because I know the kids in this area are below level. And so I put forth the effort every day to make sure that I get them, that I play a part because first grade is very important. It's a foundational grade and that I put forth the effort to make sure that they get to where they need to be, now and beyond."
The record does not specify the name of an award or honor, who presented it, or any formal action taken by a governing body. Comments and reactions recorded in the transcript occurred during the school gathering and related public remarks; no vote or formal decision is recorded.
