Cassandra Debottis was announced Humble ISD Teacher of the Year this spring Debottis previously won campus Teacher of the Year on Jan. 16.
“Once I won District Teacher of the Year I felt very grounded, very humble, and very grateful,” said Debottis, who has taught for 13 years. “I just wanted to hug everybody at our school. If I won regionals, that would be huge. I mean that would mean all of my education from New York that I brought to Texas would be absolutely worth it.”
Being a mother of two and a district winning teacher isn’t easy.
“This is a very emotionally taxing job, especially when you know your kids are being hurt or they’re harmed in any way,” Debottis said. “It does take a toll on us, or if they’ve had a bad day, maybe we take on some of their energy.”
For Debottis, her biggest supporter is her husband. Whether it’s helping her throughout the trying times of being a mom of two or becoming district teacher of the year, he is always cheering her on.
“If you heard any of those videos that were posted online you can hear my husband in the background,” Debottis said. “He is the voice I heard over everyone. He’s always like ‘It’s for the kids!’ He’s always been super supportive of me.”
It wasn’t always Debottis’s dream to be a teacher. She went to college to be a dentist.
“I had such bad test anxiety that I didn’t do it, but I had so many of my college professors and high school teachers saying I could’ve done it,” Debottis said.
Even though teaching wasn’t her first choice, Debottis tries her best to make all of her students feel safe and understood.
“I had one or two people at school that I could talk to, but never the way that my students can talk to me,” Debottis said. “I want to be that for them.”
Sophomore Courtney Scott had Debottis as her biology teacher freshman year. She formed a bond with Debottis.
“She felt like a mom to me, and you could really just tell she cared a lot about her students and wanted the best for them,” Scott said. “She definitely was my comfort place. I always knew I could go and complain about something.”
Sophomore Kalyn Kelly said she thinks of Debottis as a someone she can always go to and talk to when things are going on in her life.
“I loved her. She was one of my favorite teachers ever. She was really helpful and one of the sweetest teachers.” Kelly said. “I still go to her and talk to her about things during flex.”
Debottis always tries to find a way to connect and understand her students. She loves being able to help in anyway that she can.
“Whether they call me their school mom or like a school auntie, or mentor,” Debottis said, “whatever they need me for that day – I’m there.”
