SAN ANTONIO — English teacher, Angela Matney, is always looking for ways to relate to her students.
"She always gives us students a chance to express ourselves in the classroom especially when we get to do something relatable to everybody," Randolph High School, senior, Paudrianna Nunez said.
Matney is not afraid to challenge her students to get out of their comfort zones or to think outside of the box.
"I'm trying to listen to what they are interested in and make it applicable to their lives," Randolph High School, English teacher, Angela Matney said. "I think that very often teenagers are very misunderstood group of people, and I want to show them that I understand them, and that I hear them, and I see them."
It's that willingness to see students by one of her own high school teachers, that sparked her love for teaching.
"I had a math teacher actually who made me feel seen and heard for probably for the first time in high school ever," Matney said. "I remember there was like an epiphany that I had that I was like, I want to do what that teacher did for me, was to make me feel confident in something that I was not confident in. And that kind of spurred me into teaching."
Driving that success are her four core teaching principals: reading critically, writing consciously, speaking clearly and speaking your truth.
"So every decision that I make I try to go back to those and how I can help the students fulfill those core principles," Matney said "I think about telling their truth a lot and I want them to feel confident in who they are and confident to be able to tell me I don't understand this, and so how can I help them improve or get to that lightbulb moment."
"It's that self expression and interest in each students that has made her a stand out at Randolph High School and this week's Excel award winner.
"You get people who are good teachers and then you have people like Mrs. Matney who are astonishingly good because she cares so deeply for her kids and their success," Randolph High School, Principal, Dr. Mark Malone said.
"Ultimately I hope they leave my class knowing that there is an adult out there that cares for them and that's the biggest thing is that I want them to always know that they have a place in my classroom," Matney said. "But I hope that they leave my class being a little more confident in who they are and in their writing and in their reading. I think that paring who they are with being confident in their writing or reading really sets them up for success."