Tami Frank and Kristin Gray were named Murphy Middle School’s 2010 Teachers of the Year. Each year Plano ISD nominates teachers from every campus, culminating in the selection of one district beginning and experienced Teacher of the Year.

Tami Frank was named the Beginning Teacher of the Year and is a special education teacher at Murphy Middle School. She teaches math, social skills and vocational skills to 14 students with a wide range of disabilities and ability levels. 

Her teaching journey began when her oldest son was born.

“He was born three and a half months premature. Joshua in now 17 and attends Shepton High School. He has autism, MR and is non-verbal. I have been involved in special education as a parent for 14 years. Being a parent of a child with special needs I feel I bring new insight and perspective to my classroom, and what I have learned as a teacher has helped me at home,” Frank said.

Frank said she didn’t really pick middle school – middle school special education picked her, when she started substituting at MMS in 2009.

“I immediately fell in love with the students and staff at Murphy and as a parent of a child with special needs felt very comfortable and confident working in the life skills classroom,” she said. “My experience last year with Murphy was so positive I jumped at the chance to work with the staff and administration this year. Everyone at the school has been very helpful and supportive as I’ve maneuvered through my first year of teaching. All the new information and paperwork can be overwhelming, but I have had a supportive team to back me up.”

Watching her students gain independence and self-confidence are the best parts of teaching, Frank said. 

“I also love developing engaging lesson plans that capture the students’ imaginations and really gets them into the learning process,” she said.

Frank received a bachelor’s degree in family science/child development in 1993.  She finished her alternative teaching certification last spring and took the special education certification test in April.  From January 2009 to June 2009, she accepted a long-term substitute position at Murphy in their Special Education Department and was offered a teaching position for the 2009-’10 school year in May. 
 

When not working, Frank enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Kristin Gray was named the Experienced Teacher of the Year for Murphy Middle School. She teaches eighth-grade English, eighth-grade honors English and journalism (yearbook, newspaper and broadcasting). This is her 13th year of teaching.

“I started off teaching English 7 and Honors English 7 in Irving for two years, then taught Gifted and Talented English for grades six, seven and eight (also in Irving) for four years, and then moved here to Murphy Middle School and took on eighth grade, which I’ve been doing for six and a half years now. I’ve taught journalism for the past two and a half years,” Gray said.

Gray said she knew she always wanted to be a teacher.

“I can remember in elementary school begging my teachers to give me unused workbooks and worksheets before we left for summer break.  I desperately wanted to have them so that I could play ‘school’ with my younger sisters.  Of course, I was always the teacher, and they were always the students,” she said. “I chose to be a teacher because I have always loved learning and I want others to have that same love.”

Although middle school students can be challenging, Gray said she loves everything about them.

“Middle school kids are often deemed ‘unlovable’ – they have crazy hormones and are often confused about whether they are supposed to be kids or be adults. I love them for the kids they are, the adults they desperately want to be, and the everything ‘in between’ about them,” she said. “They make teaching challenging yet rewarding. I chose to teach English because I love reading and writing. When you teach, you have to teach something you genuinely love. If you have no passion for your subject, how can you expect students to develop a passion for it?”

Gray said her favorite part of teaching is the smile on a kid’s face when he/she is successful.

“Nothing’s better than that smile!” she said.

In addition to teaching English, Gray teaches journalism. Her journalism class creates the yearbook, a school newspaper, and, for the first time this year, a weekly recorded broadcast of school news. She is also the team leader for the Eighth Grade Colts Academic team, the school coordinator for Destination ImagiNation (a creative problem solving competition) and the sponsor of Whiz Quiz (an academic quiz bowl type competition).

This fall, Gray was part of a Murphy Middle School team which was awarded $1,500 for their “Cultivating a Love of Reading” program. Describing the project, the teachers said, “Middle school students often dislike reading because it’s ‘uncool’ or because they have to read what someone tells them to read. In Cultivating a Love of Reading, a reading workshop program that allows young adult readers the freedom to choose novels based on their personal interests, the ‘uncool’ factor disappears. After reading each novel, students are able to respond in writing to their reading and/or have time to share their excitement about their books through book recommendation discussions.” Tina Christian and Laura Foster are the other two members of the program team.

Gray earned her Bachelor of Arts (English major, sociology minor) from Texas Christian University in 1997. She earned my Master of Secondary Education (with specialization in Gifted and Talented Education) from the University of North Texas in 2003.

When not teaching, Gray said she loves to read and enjoys making handmade cards and doing pretty much any other type of crafting. She also enjoys singing and participating in church mission work. 

“The future? I plan to keep on teaching and learning, in whatever way, shape, or form I can!” Gray said.

Every year, the experienced teacher candidates for Plano ISD’s Teacher of the Year are nominated and elected by their peers at their schools. Each teacher nominee completed an essay question and was interviewed by a selection panel comprising administrators, teachers, parents and business and civic leaders, who made the final selections for Plano ISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year. The winning candidates are recommended for participation in the Texas Teacher of the Year competition.

Plano ISD’s Teacher of the Year nominees will be honored at the school district’s annual Teacher of the Year Gala on May 13. Nearly 1,400 educators, PTA leaders, school and city dignitaries and corporate sponsors attend to celebrate teaching excellence.

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