CLMS Educator of Year Finalist

Teresa Carlos-Contreras – Finalist

California League of Middle Schools

Educator of the Year

In November, John Muir’s Teresa Carlos-Contreras was honored as one of 10 finalists for the California League of Middle Schools Region 7 Educator of the Year. Following is the nomination for the honor written by Principal Ken Spencer:

Many times you hear the stories.  The ones in which the student has overcome the odds, leaped over the barriers that existed in their life to become a successful educator.  You hear the stories of the teachers who truly make differences in the lives of their students.  Sometimes these stories can seem surreal, almost too good to be true.

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Quotes and Proverbs

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”

– Tim Tebow

In case you are not familiar, Tim Tebow has been quite the focus of conversation the past few months both because of his uniquely successful leadership as a quarterback of the Denver Broncos and his outspoken faith.  There are a few lessons we can learn from this inspirational athlete as well as the Bronco team and coaches:

Hard work and faith can make up for any lack of perceived talent.

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Caught in the Act: Carri Holt

1. What is your current position? Principal’s Secretary at Mark Twain Elementary

2.  What inspires you at work? The students inspire me because they are always willing to learn. Mr. Anderson continually inspires me to continue my education and do the best that is possible, and all my co-workers are awesome and inspire me to come to work everyday with a huge smile!

3.  What do you like best about your job? I love everything about my job! I enjoy coming to work everyday to a great environment full of wonderful people. They are my family! The students are amazing and there is never a dull moment in our office!

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Caught in the Act: Janet Hansen

Janet Hansen always thinks positively and enthusiastically about her students and what they are capable of becoming. She sees the good in any situation and can move forward to make the most of difficult situations when confronted with obstacles. She encourages others to also be positive. She is honest and authentic in working with others. She consistently lives up to commitments to students and others.  She works with them in an open, honest, and forthright manner.

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Powerful Learning and Teaching

Learning

Teaching and learning are simple.  We just make it complicated.  Too often we equate learning to something totally run and managed by the school and its system.  The simple truth is learning is innate to all of us.  Children learn daily because that is the way they are wired.  Now what they learn and to what extent they learn is another matter.

We know a few truths about learning that we need to take advantage of.

Children are naturally curious, and we need to tap into that curiosity.  The message is learning needs to be interesting and can be even fun!

Students, especially adolescents are very focused on themselves and their own worlds.  The message is we need to make learning relevant to their world.

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Weekly Challenge

These are challenge questions for each one of us after each and every week of school:

•After the first week of school are your students closer to meeting the goal of reading at grade level?

•If you do not know, how do you as the educator go about finding out? (How do you keep monitoring this, even weekly?)

•If you do know, what evidence do you use?

I fondly remember one of my high school football coaches who promoted the idea of me leading a chant after every game; win or lose:

“Every day in every way we get better and better and better!” I remember saying this especially after the few games we lost. The saying was even more meaningful. In order for us to help our students break the “reading barrier,” we have to be engaged in their progress weekly. We cannot afford to have a “wait and see” attitude because the task of improving reading works on a day by day basis. We ask the question, “how are my students doing today with their reading?” And, more importantly, “what am I doing about it if they are struggling?” Whether they are close to your goals or far, the day-by-day work is still the same: provide tasks where every day in every way, they get better and better and better!

Philosophy on Student Learning

The true gift of teaching is not in our inherited or developed talents; it is in student learning.

Why do hospitals focus a great deal on patient welfare?  Why do companies that create airline parts spend time and resources on quality control?  Why is it professional athletic coaches spend so much time analyzing the outcomes of their contests?  The answers are obvious.  They all have to do with the outcome of their work.  Why is it then education has been viewed in many cases so differently?

Here is a list of reasons I think why we have received a pass in this regard:

1. Students do not always want to learn.  We cannot force them to learn.
2. Students come from homes and backgrounds where education is not important.  They are not motivated to learn and they have too much ground to make up academically.
3. Students are not always responsible; they need to take responsibility for their education.
4. Learning is the responsibility of parents and students.  Teaching the material in a powerful way does not guarantee student success.

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Powerful Learning and Teaching

Where would we be without teachers?  What would the world look like without adults who teach the younger generation the right things?  And more importantly, where would we be without adults who loved us enough to see we learned the truth?  This rhetorical question is not pondered enough.  Teachers are much like great leaders. They are influencers.  And, without the right influence, we are headed for disaster.  Teachers do not just convey knowledge.  They are motivators, inspirers, leaders, positive mentors, relationship builders, etc.  And among many others, I will add: positive prognosticators!  They help us create a framework for our future, they help paint the picture of our possibilities and potential, and they give us hope for tomorrow.  They are hope builders and dream instigators. This is why we continually remind ourselves and each other of one of the strongest principles (often ignored) about our personal vision:

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