Jan. 10—When Murry Fly Elementary School teacher Griselda Montes heard she’d won the 2024 Elementary Educator of the Year from Summit K12, she was amazed.
Montes was selected from more than 100,000 Texas educators who use Summit K12’s educational platforms. She was recognized for her exceptional performance in TELPAS, platform engagement, and innovative strategies for emergent bilingual students. When she heard she’d been nominated, she couldn’t believe it and didn’t think it was a big deal.
Then she found out how many teachers K12 had to choose from and thought she would never win.
The following week, she got an email saying she was one of the finalists. The awards were given at the Texas Association for Bilingual Educators conference last October in Austin. She was already going to Austin Thursday, Oct. 17, to work with the Texas Education Agency and Pearson on reviewing STAAR questions. Pearson is responsible for developing test forms and items that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Pearson has been a partner in Texas assessments for over 40 years.
She returned to Odessa to teach that Friday and left Saturday morning for the awards ceremony.
At the ceremony, they were naming teachers and districts from Laredo, Dallas and San Antonio. The last awards were for teacher of the year for elementary, middle and high school. They went through all the places and she was named.
“It was something that I didn’t expect and something” that she never thought she would get, Montes said.
However, she was told by the woman who interviewed her for the award selection process that she was an amazing teacher who made her classroom a fun place to be.
“I want the kids to have fun while they’re learning, because it’s hard. It’s hard to get them to school and it’s hard to teach them. … They’re not going to do much if they don’t enjoy doing something,” Montes said.
A Presidio native, she graduated from Sul Ross State University in Alpine with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a minor in kinesiology. Montes wanted to be a coach because she had played point guard in college.
“I’ve always liked being around kids, learning and teaching,” she said.
Even as a teacher, she’s still learning, especially from the students.
“They teach me a lot,” Montes said.
In education for 30 years, she was an instructional aide in Presidio for a year, at Burleson Elementary for two years teaching third grade and Murry Fly for 27 years teaching fourth grade — in the same classroom.
The most rewarding part for her is seeing the light bulb go off for kids.
“That’s what makes me happy to see somebody that is struggling for something, to work on something, and all of a sudden getting it. I’m like, Oh, my God, you got it. You did it, you made it, you made 100. I tell them, this is what I work for. This is what I want. This is what I’m doing for you guys, so that you can do that,” Montes said.
She has a poster in her classroom in English and Spanish that says mistakes are not mistakes, they’re lessons to be learned.
“We learn from our mistakes, and if you don’t make a mistake, then you’re not learning,” Montes said.
Murry Fly Principal Christina Salinas said Montes’ award was for her exceptional dedication and innovative teaching.
“She has earned this award by supporting our Emergent Bilingual students using the platform with fidelity. Ms. Montes implements instructional strategies that benefit her students in acquiring a second language. Beyond academics, she takes the time to support each student personally, helping them grow both in and out of the classroom.
“Her positive influence extends outside of the classroom where she has created longtime relationships with her colleagues. She is always available to mentor and support other teachers, sharing her expertise. Through her efforts, Ms. Montes has made a lasting impact, fostering a supportive and thriving learning environment at Murry Fly Elementary. We are all extremely proud of her accomplishments,” Salinas said in an email.