Lindsey Matykiewicz, or Mrs. Maty to her students, teaches third grade at Curry Elementary. 

Matykiewicz has been teaching for over 20 years—16 of those in the Tempe Elementary School District.

Matykiewicz was a CARES Act teacher during the pandemic, but she took over a third grade class in January. For her students, returning to the classroom and getting a new teacher has been a adjustment. That’s why Matykiewicz encourages them to practice perseverance. “I try to tell them, just breathe...we’ll figure this out,” she says.

The students have done a good job employing perseverance, problem solving and meeting expectations, she says. “We have come to a really good place,” according to Matykiewicz. While Matykiewicz is proud of all her third-graders, that is especially true of the student who nominated her, Soulima. “She has just come so far,” Matykiewicz explains. “The first part of the year, she struggled with connecting with her teacher. She has made so many positive changes.”

When she was a student, Matykiewicz loved writing and reading. She loved being creative and expressing her ideas, and then working with her teachers to become a better writer, she says. She now loves to teach reading and writing—getting her students to get their ideas out and put down on paper.

Matykiewicz says she sees her students “grow almost daily. It’s so rewarding, so exciting.”

When she is not at school, you might find Matykiewicz at one of her daughter’s swim meets or refinishing a piece of thrift store furniture with her husband. “It’s simple but it’s a fun project that we can do together,” she explains.

Her love of DIY and craft projects makes her home look like a craft store, Matykiewicz says with a laugh. Her family also loves to go camping, she says.

As much as she enjoys teaching reading, Matykiewicz also likes to relax and read in her spare time. She says she regularly reads inspirational books. One of her favorite authors is Mitch Albom.

Matykiewicz likes to advise her students that “Practice doesn’t make perfection; practice makes permanent.” She says that she has benefitted from her years in the classroom—she feels that her experience has made her a stronger teacher.