There was a level excitement that could not be contained when math teacher Breana Chatman of Holland Middle School was surprised by Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan as the Teacher of the Month for October. 

“Mrs. Chatman goes above and beyond the call of duty every time she steps into the classroom,” Principal Pablo Resendiz said. “She is very intentional in planning and ensures standards have been unpacked thoroughly before she designs her lessons.” 

Not accepting anything less than excellence from her students, Chatman pushes students understanding and knowledge of the mathematical process by using mathematical sentence stems, and utilizes interactive word walls and anchor charts to ensure the class environment supports all students. 

“Her students know she cares about them and their well-being, in which the students work extremely hard for her,” Resendiz said. “The students are invested in their learning goals because of Ms. Chatman’s ability to connect with her students and build strong, positive relationships.”  

In her third year at Holland, Chatman’s passion and ability to connect with her students resulted in 88 percent of the students meeting or exceeding the STAAR progress measure last school year, and she’s on track to the same this school year. 

“I’m completely overwhelmed and grateful to be recognized by campus and district administrators,” Chatman said. “My students are the reason I get up to teach each and every day.” 

Chatman will get to kick-off the summer break in style with a 2019 Toyota Highlander, courtesy of Sterling McCall Toyota. 

“I’m excited to once again kick off the school year with the Sterling McCall VIP Services Teacher of the Month program,” Lathan said. “This is a great opportunity to recognize the great work of our teachers like Breana and the impact they make in students’ lives every school year.” 

As part of the Teacher of the Month program, HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and district leaders will surprise a teacher along with a rep from Sterling McCall VIP Services. Each month, the teacher will be presented with an award, a gift basket of promotional items, a $150 gift card, and a luxury loaner vehicle. 

Each of the seven HISD Area Superintendents will be responsible for selecting a teacher from their region to be honored from October 2019 to May 2020. Principals who would like to nominate a teacher on their campus should contact their school support officer or area superintendent directly.