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Irma I. Najarro ’03 suddenly stopped teaching how to measure angles, and her fourth-grade students at a Montgomery County school put down their protractors as a parade burst into the classroom. 

Waving pom-poms and blasting the Maryland Victory Song, representatives from the ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ College of Education and the life-size Testudo mascot had come to surprise Najarro on Tuesday at Washington Grove Elementary School in Gaithersburg with balloons, a bag of College of Education-branded swag and a $1,000 check—along with their gratitude. 

“I am shocked but really happy that the kids are getting to see this," said Najarro. “They can say, ‘When I grow up and I go to Maryland or I go to college, this could also happen to me.’”

She was one of three outstanding alum teachers in the area who the college recognized in a daylong blitz during national Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9); it did the same last year, and is making this an annual tradition. 

Najarro, Vassiliki “Vicky” Key ’11, a social studies teacher at Shady Grove Middle School in Gaithersburg, and Sara Tatum ’18, a math teacher at Bladensburg High School in Bladensburg, were also treated to words of praise from their students, colleagues, family members and ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ leaders.

“Our teachers are our unsung heroes,” said college Dean Kimberly Griffin. “They work so hard, they pour so much into their classrooms, and we just wanted to take a moment to appreciate them.”

At Shady Grove, hundreds of students and staff gathered in the gym for a pep rally to celebrate Key, who has spent six of her 10 years in teaching at the school. Key works with seventh and eighth graders, mentors teaching interns from ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ and serves as social studies content specialist. She recently played a pivotal role in partnering with ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ to establish Shady Grove as an official Professional Development School that facilitates internships for future teachers and also supports its mentor teachers. Key was also instrumental in her school’s success with Montgomery County Public Schools’ professional development initiative, Coaching for Impact. 

Her colleagues say she’s committed to helping her students and mentees reach their full potential by providing encouragement and honest feedback while demonstrating compassion, care and concern.

“I love forming relationships with my students, getting to know who they are and helping them see that they can be successful, that they have strengths, that we all have challenges and that we can grow together,” said Key.

Next, Testudo led the College of Education group into Najarro’s classroom, where both Spanish and English are spoken. She has been teaching for more than 20 years and has spent the past four years at Washington Grove, where she coordinates the talent show and Career Day and guides new and experienced teachers as a team leader. In addition, she serves on the leadership and school improvement teams and as the school’s elected faculty representative, responsible for fostering communication between administration and teachers. 

A finalist for 2022-23 Montgomery County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Najarro has been recognized for patiently supporting her students’ academic and emotional needs and for teaching with compassion and positivity.

Najarro enjoys “seeing when something finally clicks with students and that light bulb goes off,” she said. “They feel so good about themselves, and I think that’s the best feeling a teacher could experience.”

The final stop of the day was Tatum’s math classroom at Bladensburg High School. Tatum, who has been teaching at the school since she graduated from ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ seven years ago, supports students beyond her classroom through the school’s virtual learning programs and extended learning opportunities credit recovery program.

As sponsor of the Class of 2027, she spends Friday mornings selling doughnuts and lemonade to raise funds for activities. Her colleagues and students know her as a hardworking, dedicated educator who brings a sense of humor to her lessons. Tatum also performs educational science demonstrations at children’s birthday parties and leads afterschool and summer science programs. 

“My favorite thing about teaching is helping kids make sense of the world, math and life,” said Tatum. “I’m grateful and thankful to ��о����ʦ�ҷ��黨��Ƶ for all of the support they gave to get me here.”