Marked a tree in the elementary school hallway and made banners for the K8 Teacher of the Month.

MARKED TREE, Ark. (KAIT) – It was an emotional surprise for Ms. Tiffany Thrash when she learned she was named K8 News Teacher of the Month for October.

Smiling students holding colorful banners lined the hallways of Marked Tree Elementary School ahead of the surprise.

Few teachers knew about this big announcement, so when K8 News came to share it, both students and teachers couldn’t contain their excitement.

“We had everyone in the room and no one knew what was going on,” said co-director Whitney Phillips. “It was just a big surprise for everyone.”

Emery Tucker and Zayden Mitchell are in Thrash’s class this year. They learned to add and subtract decimals.

Zaiden said he enjoys the interactivity of Thrash’s teaching.

“In science, it will allow us to do experiments and stuff,” Zaiden added. “In math, we will move around the room and help each other do it.”

Emery said thrash is “very fun and adventurous.”

Thrash, who teaches 5th grade, says this is a special age group.

“They’re at that age where they still want to please you, so they listen to you really well and they’re a lot of fun,” Thrash said.

Her favorite part of being a teacher is when the student enjoys the material.

She said a smile appears on their faces, their eyes light up, and she sees an “I got it” moment.

Rebecca Sefers nominated Thrash for Teacher of the Month. Sefers is pursuing a degree in teaching and said Thrash played a big role in helping her on her journey.

“She spent countless hours after school on Saturdays, she helped me a lot,” Sefers said. “She’s an inspiration.”

Thrash also participates in the Indian Club’s after-school program, helping students who struggle with math.

Thrash mentioned that she spends a lot of time thinking about her work, even after the school day ends. She can be hard on herself, and moments like the Teacher of the Month surprise remind her of the impact of her teaching.

Her peers say Thrash has a heart and passion for teaching that helps her students succeed.

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