Every October, staff members around the school get the chance to nominate various teachers for teacher of the year. This year, Ms. Stephanie Friesz was awarded the title of 2023-24 teacher of the year, which was announced at the faculty meeting in the library on Nov. 15.
Ms. Friesz has been teaching for eight years and four of those years have been at Liberty. And in those four years, Friesz has made many connections with her students and co-workers.
“She never fails to put a smile on students’ faces,” special education teacher Ms. Whitmore said.
Friesz loves getting to know each of her students for who they are. She takes the time and effort to get to know each student’s personal needs and requests. Friesz connects so well to her students that she can attend to students’ likes and dislikes.
The most important part of being a teacher is not only teaching your students, but also getting to know them on a personal level.
“I just do my best to give my students meaningful experiences while they’re with me, and I try to help them build on their independence,” Friesz said.
Friesz goes above and beyond to make sure her students get the correct care they need throughout their day. She makes sure each kid leaves with a smile on their face.
“Communication comes in many forms, and I try to read all the levels presented within my classroom,” Friesz said.
Ms. Friesz and her students run a successful program called supply and demand. Supply and demand began around February last school year. Supply and demand is a business that gives teachers and staff members free refills of supplies like highlighters, pencils, makers, and so much more.
Supply and demand allows these students to help teachers around the school. However, supplies for these teachers can add up in price over time. To solve this problem, students in Ms. Friesz’s class created bath bombs and shower steamers to sell to make more money.
Even with these students’ disabilities, Ms. Friesz goes above and beyond to make sure each student has an important role to play in the supply and demand process. Friesz wants to make sure each student is included in something big, and at the end of the day students leave knowing they are a part of something special.
