In her daily work as a kindergarten teacher, Tracee Matice truly enjoys watching students learn. Matice was named Teacher of the Year at Heritage Elementary School.

Tracee Maticee stands with her sons Michael, from left, Justin and Brett.

“It is so rewarding when you see a child work so hard to master a skill and then the ‘light bulb’ clicks on in their heads. That’s when you know the student was motivated and most likely will never forget their experience,” Matice said.

Before working at Heritage, Matice taught at Spiritlife Christian Academy and a privately owned kindergarten in the Enhanced Education Center, both in Madison.

A resident of Harvest, Matice earned a master’s degree in curriculum at Athens State University.

During her career, Matice has taught so many students that she always will remember happily. “Kindergartners are a wonderful bunch to teach. They are so loving and eager to learn. They also have no boundaries on stories that they share,” she said.

Her days aren’t boring. “These young children share everything … even when not asked. I’m always pleased to see how their minds work,” Matice said.

During snack time three years ago, a boy came to Matice’s desk and wanted to talk with her. “I saw him noticing things on my desk. Then, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open,” she said.

The boy spotted her keys. “He gasped, ‘Ms. Matice! You have a car?!'” “Yes,” she told him. “How do you think I got to school?”

“The bus,” he said. “Not only do the students think we live at school but we also ride the bus,” Matice said.

The major challenge as a teacher is staying creative and “sort the many resources and remember them all. Technology is such a wonderful tool in teaching. It gives me lots of ideas to keep my students motivated and loving school,” Matice said.

Both graduates of Bob Jones High School, her sons Michael, 19, and Justin, 18, are U.S. Marines. Justin lives in California and is studying electronic maintenance. Michael is studying aviation ordinance in Pensacola. Her son Brett, 8, is a third-grader at Heritage.