Feb. 22 started off like any other day for Laurie Schultz, language arts teacher. This was until, she was teaching her seventh hour class and Kevin Schultz, language arts teacher, and the entire administration, showed up at her door.

Immediately, Schultz felt nervous. She thought that something wrong. But then they brought out flowers and balloons, and Schultz started to cry.

She had just been named Marquette High School’s 2015 – 2016 teacher of the year.

“Dr. Ramsey and Dr. Mathison kept trying to take my picture and I asked them not to take my picture because I was all weepy and sad faced,” Schultz said. “It was very emotional, but it was a wonderful surprise.”

The Marquette Teacher of the year award is an annual award that recognizes a teacher for his or her work and character throughout the year. Schultz, who teaches classes such as Senior Composition, Senior British and World Literature, and AP Literature, is the latest teacher to win the award since its inception in 1993. She said she is appreciative of how it reflected on her as a teacher.

“There’s not a lot of outward recognition as a teacher,” Schultz said. “A lot of us do it because we love to do it, and we love the kids. But as far as big awards, there’s really not that much of it in this profession. So I guess when you so get one, it’s a wonderful feeling because you feel like someone else appreciates all those little things that you do, day after day after day.”

In addition to the flowers, balloons, and banner she received, Schultz will get her own designated parking spot near the front of the school. And as building teacher of the year, Schultz is also in the running for high school teacher of the year.

“While it’s a really big honor, I’m really humbled by it because I know there’s a lot of other really amazing teachers at this school.”

When it comes to teaching, teacher-student relationships is the most important thing, said Dr. Mathison, principal. He said Schultz has awesome relationships with her students, making language arts come alive, while also broadening their minds with a combination of rigor and relevance.

Claire Albert, junior, who has Schultz for AP English Literature and Composition, said she thinks Mrs. Schultz is a great teacher who treats her students with respect and maturity.

“It’s nice to have a teacher who can be viewed as an authoritative figure, but also as someone with a great sense of humor,” Albert said. “She makes an effort to get to know her students as individuals and values their input and opinion in the class.”