LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Lottery has played a big role in funding education in our state, which is why it has teamed up with FOX 47 News to recognize excellent educators state-wide.
Ted Marthakis, a high school math teacher at Evart High School is this week's Michigan Lottery Excellence in Education award winner.
Marthakis was nominated for the award by a student.
“Mr. Marthakis deserves this award because he is very engaged with his students and genuinely cares about teaching. In our school he is known as ‘the king of dad jokes’ because he always has a joke up his sleeve, no matter how corny it may be. He creates a very friendly atmosphere in his classroom to where even a shy person like me feels welcomed and comfortable. He never fails to make the class laugh on a daily basis. He also is able to connect with students on almost anything. If someone talks about playing piano, he will start talking to them about what their favorite piece of music is because he also plays piano. He makes sure to lay a good foundation and basic understanding to make sure everyone understands the concept. If he senses the class isn’t really getting a concept (which he is somehow good at just knowing) he will go over it again. Even people who don’t typically do well in school can grasp hard concepts in his class.”
Marthakis says the thought of inspiring students led him to pursue a career as an educator.
“I was initially attracted to becoming a teacher through movie depictions of teachers. I thought: ‘How wonderful it would be to become the person who inspires students to believe in themselves and become someone better because of a teacher.’ It’s still what drives me today.”
Ted Marthakis was recognized with a $2,000 check from the Michigan Lottery!
Click here to watch the full interview
Want to see more Excellent Educators? Visit the FOX47News Website.
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