MUSKEGON, Mich. — 13 ON YOUR SIDE made it out to Glenside Elementary Two-Way Immersion with Muskegon Public Schools for our newest Teacher of the Week, and for the first time, this teacher said she had a feeling the honor was going to her.
Principal Thomas DeVoogd stood at the front of the gym ahead of the surprise and said, “Now, we have a little bit of a special announcement coming up and I have a friend coming up to help with this announcement.”
The school invited 13 ON YOUR SIDE to reveal our Teacher of the Week at their Student of the Month ceremony. That’s when we revealed that honor was going to Angelica Herrera-Estrada. She got emotional seeing all the signs and celebration.
“Honestly, I had a feeling it was me,” she said. “I’m like, I’m not ready for this. I don’t want to be emotional on TV.”
How did she know?
“Because every day I walk in and they’re like. ‘Ms. Herrera you are the best teacher ever,’” she said laughing. “I don’t know, like, I just had a feeling.”
“Well deserved. Very hard worker and very focused on students,” said DeVoogd.
Herrera-Estrada said, “I literally do wake up and I am happy to come to do my job, happy to teach the next generation.”
She follows a generation that inspired her to go into education.
“I am a first-generation Mexican American,” she said. “I attended Newaygo High School. Then, from there, I attended Aquinas College, and I met an awesome professor, Kristina Precious. She’s the one that motivated me to come and work here in Muskegon Public.”
Part of that inspiration came from her mother.
“Why did I choose teaching? Because my mother was a teacher in Mexico.”
The mention of her mom getting those tears flowing again.
She explained, “Just seeing how great of a teacher she was and is still, how much she supported my education, how my family was always there for me. I just knew that I wanted to do that same impact.”
Her students offering words of encouragement to cheer her back up and it worked.
Principal DeVoogd said, “Teachers need encouragement. Yes, they really do because their job is – we’re part of the fabric of society.”
Weaving together multiple languages and cultures at Glenside Elementary Two-Way Immersion.
“The goal is by the end of fifth grade, they are able to read, write, speak, listen in the Spanish language,” said Herrera-Estrada. “We want our Spanish-speaking families to be proud of their culture, to be proud of their language. We want our English-speaking families to also take advantage of learning another language because it opens so much doors.”
“Teachers live very exciting but also very lonely lives because they’re with students all day, not with adults and so other people don’t see what they do and all the hard work they put in. So, it’s really wonderful that she’d get the opportunity to be celebrated,” said DeVoogd.
Herrera-Estrada said, “I think it is important to stop and recognize teachers. I don’t think that’s done enough and I think a lot of teachers do go through their career never being noticed and it’s important to let teachers know, you know, you matter.”
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.