Maria Boyer teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages in Polk County.

What You Need To Know

"Right now, I have students from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Pero, India, Bangladesh,” said Boyer, this week’s A+ Teacher.

Flags hang in her classroom at Lake Region High School. Boyer is the perfect example of the future her students are fighting for.

"Do you share your story with them?” asked Spectrum Bay News 9’s Erica Riggins. “Is that Day 1? To help bring down any barriers or any fears?"

"Exactly,” Boyer said. “So they can see, if I did, they can do it."

"They know that I was an ESOL student myself. I came to the United States at the age of 19, not speaking any English, and I was able to overcome it, and look where I'm at now, helping them."

Boyer is looking out for her students in a big way.

"I am like their mom, yes, so I'll check the grades not only for my class, but for all the other classes as well, and let them know, 'Hey, you need to tighten up, you need to turn this in, you need to turn that in."

Lake Region's principal calls her a "master of her craft” with interactive lesson plans promoting teamwork.

Boyer creates unbreakable bonds, encourages ESOL students to take risks and brings the class to life.

"It's amazing to watch kids as they enter her room, as they talk to her,” said Principal Mary Jo Costine. “They take so many leads from her. I've seen them where they passed a test and they have to come run and tell her and then she celebrates with them." 

The Polk district highlighted her teaching strategies and named her work a model classroom.  She is also the current Teacher of the Year on campus.

"She's just the heart and the morale of what our team is,” said Kat Nickell, the school’s English Department Chair. "She is the one person I can count on in the department. If people are trying to step back, she's the first one to join in.  She's the one who says, 'Let's do it.'"​