Jean Wallace, one of nine Massachusetts educators honored Thursday at a State House ceremony.Photo: Carl Stevens/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A ceremony was held at the Massachusetts State House Thursday honoring educators who graduated from the state's university system.
Nine educators were recognized for their teaching excellence as well as their contributions to the communities where they live and work.
Jean Wallace, a Massachusetts College of Art graduate, was one of the teachers honored at the annual event.
She said she's been able to teach for more than 20 years because she truly loves what she does. "I think one of the most important things about teaching is being able to share my love for art with others."
Wallace said she's taught at different places but especially loves teaching kids with special needs. "Some of the things that I love about teaching in a therapeutic school for kids who have special needs is that the art is so important to them."
Her advice to anyone wanting to get into teaching? "You really have to love what you are doing," she said. "You cannot underestimate the amount of effort and time that goes into teaching outside of the classroom time, so you have to be invested, you have to really, really, want that."
While all of the educators have different fields of expertise, they all share the same passion for teaching.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.