Green Pines Educator Honored as 'Tools for Teachers' Award Recipient

Green Pines Elementary second-grade teacher Maria Long is November's "Tools for Teachers" award recipient for going above and beyond for her students.

"Tools for Teachers" is a teacher recognition program presented by KPLR 11 and Weber Chevrolet. The program recognizes a teacher per month in the St. Louis metro area who makes a lasting impact on their students' lives.

Long will receive a $500 prize for being named a "Tools for Teachers" winner.

"Mrs. Long is the second-grade teacher everyone wants. She creates a magical, imaginative world for students to learn and grow," wrote her nominator. "She spends her personal time and money finding fun ways for kids to learn. Counting money is a skill for our second-graders, and she's created a banking system. They earn coins, track them in their personal ledger and may use them to purchase trinkets. The kids love it.

"The class is also working to create and self-publish a book. The class decides on an idea, and each student has their own character. It sparks a love of reading and collaboration. Thank you, Mrs. Long, for making the world more imaginative and fun!"

Long's students published a book last year called "The Kickball Kerfuffle." 

"What keeps me teaching is the connection I have with my teammates, my school, the families I get to work with and -- of course -- the kids. They're the center of everything," Long said in an interview on KPLR 11. "From the teachers, the staff and administration and the families who are there, Green Pines is just a community unlike anything else. You walk through the doors, and you feel that sense of community."

If you would like to nominate an educator for "Tools for Teachers" consideration, visit the KPLR 11 webpage.