By Diana Whittle
Helping the children of immigrant parents learn how to play a meaningful role in American society—and prepare themselves for satisfying, productive futures in their new country—has been the longtime goal of Maria Plata.
As a result of her passion and the steps she took to satisfy it, Plata, a bilingual first-grade teacher at Kyrene de los Niños Elementary School in Tempe, has been chosen as 2016’s Teacher of the Year by the Arizona Education Association.
The annual award, known as the “Christa McAuliffe—I Touch the Future, I Teach” competition, recognizes an educator who inspires his or her peers and makes them proud to be members of their profession.
In the unlikely event you don’t recognize the award’s namesake, McAuliffe was the first American civilian and teacher selected to travel into space, and who ended up among those died during the tragic loss of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986.
The Arizona award recipient takes home $1,000 and becomes the state chapter’s entrant in the organization’s national competition for Teaching Excellence.
Plata’s road to the award indeed was an arduous one.
She decided become a teacher after coming to the U.S. an immigrant to the U.S. from Guadalajara, Mexico, when she was 8 years old. She lived in and around Phoenix until she became an ASU student, said Plata.
“Coming to this country and having to learn English is really what ignited my passion for language learning and it motivated me to become a teacher.”
Plata started on her way to a professional future at Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix, where she was part of the school’s first graduating class; it also was where she met her husband-to-be.
Since then her passion for teaching has given her a chance to look forward to every day in the classroom.
Plata was nominated for the AEA recognition by her colleague Kinora Hernandez, who serves as the Structured English Immersion coach at Niños. In addition to Kinora, a couple of other Spanish teachers also helped with the nomination form and answered questions about why she should be nominated, said Plata, who is in her seventh year of teaching.
“This is my fifth year teaching at Niños in the dual-language program. My first year as a teacher was for a combination classroom of first and second graders in the Roosevelt School District, and my second year in the field, I taught first grade in the Tempe Elementary School District.
Plata prepared for her career by graduating from a special bilingual program from which she obtained a Multicultural/Multilingual Program bilingual endorsement in 2009.
While she is still debating what the focus of a coming masters’ degree will be, she has learned what excites her about teaching.
“My favorite part of being a teacher is having that ability to use my creativity to motivate students to do their best. I love seeing how they make connections about the outer world around them and the excitement that they share about their passions.
“I especially love teaching in Spanish because sometime around the middle of the year most students realize that they are part of something bigger than just their classroom. I also really enjoy working with other adults who are creative and who challenge me to think in different ways, so teaching is a perfect combination.”
Plata admits that being a teacher is demanding, but she loves helping students to reach their goals. She says that to be a great teacher one needs to constantly evolve personally and to help students grow.
“My motivation is in knowing that we are helping to shape the future of our world. I think about my son, who’s almost two, and realize that these students will be in charge of making laws, running the state and country, and creating a peaceful world for him,” said Plata.
“So, when I see that far into the future, it makes me want to work harder and think of which skills they will need to possess.
Plata was due to be honored at an AEA Delegate Assembly during a May 7 Salute to Excellence luncheon, sponsored by the AEA Foundation for Teaching & Learning.
Of Plata’s commitment to teaching, AEA President Andrew Morrill told her:
“You represent the very best in teaching…because you work on behalf of students and our future—not only in your classroom, school and district, but in the community and in the profession as well.”
