Matthew McConaughey easily pinpointed his favorite teacher.

It wasn’t a far-reaching choice.

In a heartwarming clip as part of the “My Favorite Teacher” campaign initiated by teacher Nicholas Ferroni, McConaughey reveals, “My favorite, honestly, has been my mom, inside the classroom and out.”

Reflecting on his mother Kay, who taught him in kindergarten and occasionally substituted in high school, McConaughey reminisces about the unique approach she brought to teaching.

What I loved about my mom’s teaching was you always started with a book,” he shares.

“You always started with the history of what you were studying, the mathematics of it. You had to open the book, you had to learn the skill, learn the history of whatever it is you were studying,” he said.

The “True Detective” star talks about his mother’s 39-year teaching career, emphasizing her gift for illustrating to students how they could apply their book knowledge to real-life situations.

Matthew McConaughey and mom Kay. Photo by Getty

McConaughey vividly recounts a memorable field trip centered around studying trains, highlighting how his mother’s hands-on teaching method enriched their understanding.

“Everyone understood the train from the book, understood how trains worked, and Mom decided it was time for a field trip to go to Amtrak. She loaded up the bus — I think she drove the doggone bus — and headed over to Amtrak and we all loaded up,” he added.

“She said, ‘We’re not just gonna look at it. Let’s go somewhere.’ We learned more about trains by that experience based off what we learned from the books that we had read,” McConaughey said.

Inspired by his mother’s educational philosophy, McConaughey later took up teaching at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, starting in 2015.

“I think it’s deeply valuable for children to get as much experiential learning as they can,” McConaughey said. “I think it’s a wonderful challenge for all teachers to give to all students: How does what we’re learning in the classroom, how is what we’re teaching in the classroom — how can they [students] take that into their own life outside of the classroom with their friends, with themselves?”

“That’s what I got from my mom,” he said at the end of the video. “Thanks, Mom.”

The campaign, initiated by Ferroni, aims to shed light on the “amazing educators who give their hearts, souls and money to their students on a daily basis, and who expect very little in return.”

Nick Ferroni. Photo courtesy of Ferroni

His newest campaign utilizes celebrities who can bring attention to the educators.

“‘My Favorite Teacher’ is an initiative where I ask some very famous people about their favorite teachers, and these stories will make you smile, and even cry,” Ferroni. “I wanted to show that behind most successful people, even celebrities and athletes, you will often find a teacher who believed in them when they needed it the most.”

Watch McConaughey’s loving tribute to his mom, below.

Source: People