At 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, cheers and applause greeted Coppell High School IB English teacher Stephanie Spaete.

She had just been named the 2020-21 CHS Teacher of the Year.

Spaete was nominated along with AP English and Graphic Novels teacher Alex Holmes, AP and Honors Chemistry teacher Courtney Crosby, AP World History and AP Comparative Government teacher Shawn Hudson, AP English Emily Pickrell, Transitional Pathways teacher Brooke Coch, AP Chemistry teacher Amy Snyder, PE Coach Jay Jones, Astronomy and Earth and Space Science teacher Angela Barnes and IB Chemistry teacher Susan Sheppard. All were nominated by other teachers in their departments who recognized them for their hard work.

“When I found out, I was shocked,” Spaete said. “I felt very honored to be nominated, especially by a fellow English teacher [Courtney Orloff] who I admired. I didn’t think I was going to get it because there were so many other amazing educators on the list, and I was blown away.”

To celebrate, Spaete was taken on a scavenger hunt, where she read clues to decipher four different locations, which included the teacher’s lounge, the library, the cafeteria and the auditorium. At each location, coworkers including Orloff, English teacher Alexis Irons, IB coordinator Michael Brock and lead counselor Ann Cinelli expressed their gratitude for Spaete’s work.

“You are amazing in so many ways and such an inspiration,” Orloff said. “We can walk by your door any day and you are dancing in your room, talking to your kids and spending your lunch with the one kid who doesn’t have anywhere to go. All of those little things mean so much to them and it does not go unnoticed by your peers, families and friends.”

At the auditorium, Spaete was surprised by her parents and twin sister, as well as a video made by former students who thanked her for the impact she had on them.

“You are a light shining throughout our whole staff and your energy, love and care is so beautiful and amazing,” Principal Laura Springer said. “You take those kids and you teach them to be not just students, but people of character that understand life doesn’t always give them the easy road. You are a difference maker, in this building, and in this world.”

To Spaete, receiving the honor means her work is being recognized, and it inspires her to work harder and become a better teacher.

“It’s a big testament to my students, because that’s why I’m here, and it shows the work that I’ve put in, the level of conversations I have with them and the connections I make,” Spaete said. “It meant the world to me to see that it’s recognized and that I’m making an impact.”

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