PAY IT FORWARD: Honoring educators on National Teacher Appreciation Day

FAIRFAX, Va. - In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Day, FOX 5 and Easterns Automotive Group teamed up to surprise teachers in Fairfax County on Tuesday.

To thank the educators of Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School for all the work they do every day, Eastern Automotive Group donated a free breakfast to the staff and a $50 Amazon gift card to every teacher.

FOX 5's Allison Seymour and Mike Thomas were at the elementary school to help spotlight the great impact the teachers have on their students. We stopped by one class to thank 3rd-grade teacher Jamelle Adamson directly.

"I love teaching because I want to see the children learn and to see them grow from when I first get them, to see the progress that they make through the year just makes me happy," Adamson described.

"What makes her special is her calm demeanor, her love for children and the ability to differentiate instructions to meet the need of any child in the classroom," Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School Principal Dr. Clint Mitchell said of Adamson.

Adamson said her secret to teaching is believing in her students.

"Let them know that you believe in them and when they know you believe in them then they believe in themselves," she explained.

If you know someone who should be featured on Pay It Forward, you can nominate them here. In your email, be sure to include who they are and why they deserve to be recognized.