We're excited to kick off another year of Teacher Tribute.  Teaming up with Arrow Ford, KEAN radio, and the Abilene Reporter-News, it's a time we take to recognize the hard work of educators in our community.

We went out to Trent to find our first winner.
 
Most folks would say it takes a miracle worker to handle 17 first graders all day, five days a week.  But, according to Tina Stephens, "It's really fun to get to be the one to see 17 little miracles every day.

The miracle is all to her pleasure.

We caught Mrs. Stephens' class going through a daily routine of updating it calendar, checking out the weather, and learning how to count money.  It could be mundane stuff, but with music and games, Mrs. Stephens makes it fun.

"I don't consider it just teaching. I mean, they're just amazing, so sweet and so little. They're just so innocent," Stephens said.

Ruff Graham is one of those amazing kids. He nominated Stephens for Teacher Tribute, writing a letter about her that was just too sweet to pass up. 

"Say you were talking to a kiddo in China and they didn't know what it was like to be in Mrs. Stephens class, how would you explain it to him? I’d tell him it's the best class ever and you need to come and visit with her," Ruff said.

Stephens said she loves every day with her students.  From big things like teaching them to read, to the little moments, like hearing some of the stuff they say. 

"You know we've learned to be bridled in what we say, but these kids they're not, they're just free and I love that. And I love being the one to teach them their first things, you know, the first time they learn their states because to them the world is still a miracle and it's really fun to see that," Stephens said.