Copies in hand and a smile on her face, Ms. Allison Mata walks into her classroom prepared to brighten her students’ day. Going into her 12th year of teaching, Ms. Mata makes sure her students are her main focus, working closely with her co-workers to create lesson plans and activities best fit for their students.
“I feel blessed being able to help students,” Ms. Mata said. “I love when they find a text interesting or finally understand a concept they have struggled with.”
Ms. Mata received the Teacher of the Year award for the 2025-26 school year. She received this award for her teaching skills shown throughout this year and how she interacted with her students and peers.
“This is my second time winning teacher of the year,” Ms. Mata said. “It is truly an honor to be nominated by my peers. I couldn’t do it without their support.”
English teacher Ms. Alix Allender and Ms. Mata both started working at Danny Jones Middle School together in 2016, working for six years before Ms. Mata left to work at McKinzey Middle School for two years. Both Ms. Allender and Ms. Mata began teaching at Legacy last year.
“When we started teaching together again here at Legacy, it was like we never stopped,” Ms. Mata said. “It takes hard work, consistency and time to get into a really good flow with two teachers in a classroom. Ms. Allender and I have to be on the same page about everything.”
Ms. Mata works alongside Ms. Allender and others to help in the inclusion classrooms, where students have special educational requirements and need extra help in their classes. Students in these classrooms have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which states the needs of that specific student. Students with an IEP meet with their teachers for an Admissions Review Dismissal (ARD) to provide information that can help parents gain an understanding of the basics, so their students are well prepared and meet their goals.
“Ms. Mata is very hands-on and helpful. Her personality is direct, but approachable, and she always does what she says she’ll do,” Ms. Allender said. “She is consistent, reliable and truly helps all students.”
Freshman Addyson Molina participates in Ms. Mata’s second period English I class. Ms. Mata helps Molina each class, making sure that she is on top of her work and doesn’t need extra help.
“Ms. Mata is a very nice teacher who knows when to help her students,” Molina said. “She knows whenever I am struggling in a class, and makes sure to help me no matter the subject.”
Ms. Mata makes sure that she creates connections with all of her students. Every Friday she writes a question on the board for her students to answer, so they all get to know each other better and then talk about them. Ms. Mata focuses on building connections because she believes students learn best from teachers they trust.
“I am deeply grateful for this award because it reflects the collective efforts of my students and colleagues,” Ms. Mata said. “While I don’t teach for recognition, I strive every day to make a lasting impact. This award represents the growth, resilience, and achievements of my students as much as it represents my work.”
