WATCH: New Orleans Teacher Surprised With $25,000 Prize

Teachers do so much for their students without asking for too much in return. Over the past two years, they've been dealt with an even bigger task of finding new ways to engage their students both in person and through remote learning. One teacher in New Orleans recently was recognized for his work and dedication to his students at a surprise gathering inside his school gym.

Jay Weisman, a freshman and sophomore algebra and geometry teacher at Ben Franklin High School, was one of more than 60 educators across the country honored by the Milken Family Foundation with a prestigious Milken Educator Award, according to WDSU.

On Tuesday (March 15), Weisman was surprised in front of a school assembly with a $25,000 prize, which is often called the "Oscars of Teaching". According to the news outlet, the reason behind the assembly was kept secret until the moment his name was called.

"To say I'm overwhelmed and floored is an understatement," Weisman to the assembly. "But what cannot be understated is the thanks that all the people in this room should get. From the teachers in the back to the administrators in the front and the students here – it's for you that we get up every day and we do this and we show up and we put in our heart and we put in our soul."

He added, "Teaching is the honor of my life."

Check out the video, courtesy of WDSU, below.