Stephanie Matteson Named Affton School District's 2021-2022 Teacher Of The Year

From the Affton School District:

April 21, 2021

Stephanie Matteson, science teacher at Affton High School, has been named Affton School District’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.

At an awards ceremony held online on April 21, Matteson was awarded the honor. Each Affton school also named a Teacher of the Year for their building. They include Laura Montgomery for Mesnier Primary; Nicole Aronoff at Gotsch Intermediate; Kathleen Hollenberg at Rogers Middle; and Matteson at Affton High School.

“It is always rewarding to celebrate our colleagues being recognized for their contributions to the profession -- either in-person or virtually,” said Dr. Travis Bracht, superintendent. “I am inspired by Stephanie’s high and consistent expectations for her students while not allowing them to settle for less than they can achieve. I am confident that she will represent the best of Affton.”

Matteson has been teaching in Affton for five years. On the application for Teacher of the Year, a colleague of Matteson states, “In the classroom, she gains class respect and provides an environment where students feel safe to make mistakes. In that environment, she integrates a lot of technology and differentiates lessons based upon student need. Above all, Stephanie gets to know her kids and speaks to them with respect. She sets firm expectations but those relationships let the students know that they are achievable and she will help them along the way."

Montgomery, the Mesnier Primary School Teacher of the Year, has taught in the Affton School District for 29 years, first as a teacher assistant and then as a first-grade teacher.

Aronoff, the Gotsch Intermediate School Teacher of the Year, is a Special School District (SSD) teacher and has been in the Affton School District for five years.

Hollenberg, the Rogers Middle School Teacher of the Year, has been a Special School District (SSD) teacher for 20 years, 13 of those in Affton.

This press release was produced by the Affton School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.