'Never A Dull Moment In Her Class': Manahawkin Teacher Goes Above & Beyond

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Every so often, a student is lucky enough to have a teacher who cares so deeply and makes every day equally as fun as it is educational. For fifth graders at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Manahawkin, that teacher is Tammy McComb.

McComb, currently completing her eighth year at the school and 16th year teaching overall, is a winner of the Doherty-owned Applebee's Above & "Bee"Yond Teacher Essay Contest, thanks to a essay submitted by one of her students, Beckett Ellis.

It's clear why McComb won the award and why Ellis felt the need to nominate her. McComb's passion for teaching was palpable even through a phone interview.

"I love just being with the kids," McComb told Patch. "I love the content. I love knowledge. I get very excited about the things that I teach."

When McComb first read Ellis's essay he submitted to the Manahawkin Doherty-owned Applebee's, titled "The Best Teacher Ever," she said she was overwhelmed with pride.

"I was so proud of him," McComb gushed. "He utilized what we do in the classroom. I was very touched as well."

In the essay, Ellis outlines three reasons why he believes his teacher is worthy of the award. His reasons are her kindness, how she makes class exciting and how hard she works. He said that there is "never a dull moment" in McComb's classroom.

"Let me ask you this," the essay begins. "How many 5th grade teachers do you know that will dress up as George Washington and throw an ice cream party for his birthday? Probably none, but my teacher, Miss McComb, does."

"That was the first year I did that!" McComb said with a laugh. She decided last minute that since her lesson on the American Revolution coincided with Washington's birthday, a celebration was necessary. And no, girls weren't allowed to dress up as Martha Washington - everyone had to be the first president.

"You would be amazed at how clever they are," she said, adding that she told the students not to bother their parents and just use what they found at home to create their costumes. "It was awesome. I loved that."

McComb loves her class and said they've had a "lot of conflict" this year due to a lot of strong personalities. While this makes for a lot of fun, she acknowledged that it can lead to feelings getting hurt.

But the students put in the work and gel nicely, which McComb attributes to being at a Christian school and studying God's word every day. "It guides us," she said.

She got emotional talking about how the end of the school year was rapidly approaching. "We hand out character awards at the end of the year. Every year when I wrote those, I get misty-eyed - actually, I just cry. I'll be honest," McComb said.

The award comes with a $500 check and an end-of-the-year party for the class. She hopes to use the money to add more books to the class's library and more comfortable seating to their reading nook.

"Reading is something that's really, really important to me that the kids get into," McComb said. "That's what's going to keep them as lifelong learners."

Doherty-owned Applebees locations are offering free desserts to teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Check out the below flyer for more information.