Hernando County teacher surprised with award after more than 20 years of service

Suncoast teacher wins surprise FOX 13 Tribute

A local ESE Pre-K teacher has received a surprise honor after more than 20 years of dedication to young students in Hernando County. Fox 13’s Allie Corey has the story.

SPRING HILL Fla. - A Hernando County ESE Pre-K teacher received a surprise honor after more than 20 years of dedication to young students.

Honoring a Hernando County educator

What we know:

Beth Meisberger has spent more than two decades molding the minds of young children at Suncoast Elementary School. Her daily commitment and passion in the classroom recently earned her a FOX 13 Teacher Tribute.

Her son, Alex, helped pull off the surprise, approaching his mom in the school library to present her with a certificate. 

Meisberger expressed her shock during the presentation, saying, "I wasn't even sure what was happening. Awesome, thank you. That's so sweet."

Following a mother's footsteps

The backstory:

Meisberger's love for teaching started when she was a student herself, noting that a highly positive experience in elementary school made her want to enter the profession. That same passion trickled down to the next generation.

Her son, Alex, remembers attending Suncoast as a student while his mother taught there, joking that "It was definitely fun, I got away with a lot." Now, he is in his first-year teaching civics at Fox Chapel Middle School. Alex praised his mother's teaching style, stating that "patience and kindness is exactly what she embodies."

Life beyond the school walls

Big picture view:

Outside the classroom, Meisberger fills her time as a mother and a marathon runner. However, she views her students as an extension of her own home life. 

Teachers regularly work long hours after school, spend weekends preparing, and use their own money to buy student supplies, but Meisberger says the effort comes naturally to her.

"I like the kids. I like them. You just make your own little family every year with the new students," Meisberger said.