CHICOPEE, Mass. - It's Teacher Appreciation Week -- a time to recognize teachers' hard work, especially during such a difficult time.

At Litwin Elementary School, there are many standout teachers who go above and beyond -- one of them being Becky Laliberte. 

"The best part are the students and helping them learn new skills, interacting with them and learning from them," said Laliberte. 

Everyone has had at least one special childhood teacher they remember, who made a positive impact on their life and at Litwin, Mrs. Laliberte is one example. 

"She is amazing," said Elizabeth Masse, the school's principal. "Mrs. Laliberte is an amazing teacher. Students request Mrs. Laliberte, families come back year after year and she makes a significant impact on childrens' lives."

Laliberte started teaching 20 years ago. She sometimes uses songs to help teach her third graders subjects ranging from English, math, science, social studies, and writing. 

"Some students learn really well through music, some students learn really well through feedback, some like to learn more independently, just finding what strategy works with each student," Laliberte said.

 Masse, who has been working with Laliberte for eight years now, said it's great to have her at Litwin.

"Mrs. Laliberte is one of the most knowledgable teachers I have ever met in my life," said Masse. "Her understanding of curriculum and how to help students succeed is admirable."

It hasn't been an easy year for teachers with the constant changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but it's nothing an "A+" teacher like Mrs. Laliberte couldn't handle, and she said it's all because of the students. 

"So many changes and things, we had to adapt to quickly. But working together with them and them understanding we wanted to do our best to accommodate the learning in such a different way," said Laliberte. "It's been humbling and surprising how much we were able to accomplish online. It's really cool coming back into the classroom. Now, we have a much larger multitude of skills and strategies for teaching students in different ways."