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SMSD teacher Monica Lopez honored as Early Childhood Teacher of the Year
Summary
Monica Lopez, an early childhood teacher at SMSD, was named the RT Garcia Early Childhood Teacher of the Year by the Harris County Department of Education. Lopez described her work in inclusion classrooms and said the recognition affirmed her commitment after 28 years with Stafford.
Monica Lopez, an early childhood teacher at SMSD, was named the RT Garcia Early Childhood Teacher of the Year by the Harris County Department of Education, Lopez and school officials said.
Lopez said she was surprised and honored by the nomination from an instructional lead at her campus and described the recognition as an affirmation of her work in inclusion classrooms and her long service at the district.
"I want to thank Miss Atkinson, our instructional lead, for this honor, for nominating me for the RT Garcia Early Childhood Winter Conference Teacher of the Year. It was a surprise to me and it means a lot," Lopez said. She described working in an inclusion setting—teaching general and special education students together—as one of the most challenging and meaningful roles of her career.
Lopez told the program she has worked at Stafford for 28 years, having begun as a second-grade teacher and moving to kindergarten in recent years. She described classroom routines such as a morning greeting and affirmations—"I am kind, I am smart, I am important"—that she said help students begin the day ready to learn.
The program did not provide a full list of nomination criteria or the date of the Harris County award ceremony. Lopez credited her colleagues and the campus instructional lead for the nomination.
