Kendra Metz, a Southwest Middle School teacher in language arts and reading, reacts to being named Lawrence Master Teacher on Thursday, Nov. 10.

When Kendra Metz’s husband told her she might want to dress up on Thursday, she thought it was for date night.

But it turned out to be something even better, as school administrators, family and former colleagues poured into her Southwest Middle School classroom Thursday afternoon.

Metz, a language arts and reading teacher, was recognized as the Lawrence Master Teacher, an annual award recognizing excellence among teachers with more than five years of experience. The prize comes with a $2,500 check from KU Credit Union. Lawrence Superintendent Rick Doll made the announcement in front of Metz’s students, calling her the “best of the best” in the district.

“Thank you very much. I’m just completely caught off guard,” Metz told the roomful of people while dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “But this explains why my husband told me to dress up today.”

Metz has taught in the district for 18 years. In that time she has been at Central Junior High and Quail Run, Prairie Park and Woodlawn schools. This fall, Metz joined the staff at Southwest after having taught sixth-graders at Hillcrest School for the past five years.

Having Metz as a teacher at Quail Run in the mid-1990s and then being a member on her sixth-grade teaching team at Hillcrest, Jessica Larsen nominated her for the award.

“I know from the experience as one of her students and as one of her colleagues how she makes a huge impact on everyone,” Larsen said. “She teaches the curriculum, but she obviously cares about all of her kids.”

Among Metz’s more notable achievements as a teacher was expanding on the idea of Italian Restaurant Day. Coinciding with the study of ancient Rome, the students “open” an Italian restaurant. They make the pasta, assume jobs in the restaurant and serve parents, staff and guests. Beforehand, the students have to write letters of recommendation and resumes, fill out job applications, practice interview skills and write to local businesses for donations.

“Have fun with it,” Metz said of her teaching philosophy.

In her classroom, Metz said, she tells her students as often as she can when they do good work. To have the same recognition from the district means a lot, she said after the ceremony.

“I believe in myself as a teacher, I love what I do and to know the district believes in me, to get that recognition … to hear from your colleagues and administration that you are doing a good job, is a great feeling,” she said.