Students Celebrate Oklahoma City Public Schools Teacher Of The Year On The Porch

Oklahoma City Public Schools announced this year's teacher of the year, and her students are celebrating her using some of the curriculum she has taught this year.

Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation announced Jennifer Reyes-Garcia as the 2024 OKCPS District Teacher of the Year at last week’s annual event.

Reyes-Garcia teaches fourth grade at Mark Twain Elementary and said her biggest motivation is her students.

"Knowing that I have 21 wonderful and smart and bright and outgoing students who are counting on me to show up for them and give them my best each day," Reyes-Garcia said.

She said she is grateful to be recognized among so many other amazing teachers in the district.

"We have the best of the best here in OKCPS, so to hear my name as the teacher of the year, it was a big surprise and I'm definitely honored," Reyes-Garcia said.

Her students are working on adjectives and described her as gorgeous, smart and always joyful.

She said pushing her students to find their full potential is her biggest priority when teaching.

"I always tell my kids that there is more on the other side of life and I tell them if you're not content on where you are right now, there is more to come," Reyes-Garcia said. "They can always do more than they think they're capable of."