The Staked Plains Council for the Social Studies recently held their awards banquet on the campus of Lubbock Christian University. This year, four outstanding area social studies teachers received recognition for their classroom management and exceptional teaching skills. They were nominated by area social studies teachers and administrators.   

Elisa Ibarra-Garrett, a sixth-grade Social Studies teacher at Terra Vista took home the award for Middle School Social Studies Teacher of the year.  

Garrett shares that she feels very humbled to receive this award.  

“I am honored to be representing Frenship ISD as the Middle School Teacher of the year. It means that I am doing a good job of teaching my students about past and present history,” said Garrett.  

Garrett has been teaching at Frenship for the past eight years, and along the way she has mastered strong classroom management and intentional teaching skills.  

“First and foremost, my students know from day one that I expect respect from them, and they should also expect me to respect them. On the first day of class, we talk about respect and what it truly means to be respectful,” said Garrett. “My students do not enter my class without either giving me a fist pump, hug, handshake or a tap on the shoe. We are establishing that they are coming into our classroom, and we know what to expect and what to do.”  

Going above and beyond is something that comes naturally for Garrett. She works to establish a personal connection with each student and show that she truly cares for them. 

“It's important to understand that students come from different home life situations, and they may need more compassion due to the situation they are in. I always try to listen to their needs and let them know that I love and care for them.” 

Congratulations, Elisa Ibarra-Garrett, we are proud to have you at Frenship!