Math teacher Amy Law shared a valuable moment when she received a card from one of her students that read, “Thank you for giving me a voice.” That moment reminded Law of the importance of giving students a voice and creating a comfortable environment for them to learn. “It is important for teachers to understand that, and for students to understand as well. So treat each other nicely,” Law said.
One of math teacher Ben Hua’s most meaningful moments occurred this year, when a student wrote him a heartfelt letter. “It really opened my eyes about how much I can impact these students,” Hua said. This moment taught Hua how much more he means to his students just by showing up for class everyday.
English support and MCLV teacher Alexus Torres shared that last year, she worked closely with a student who needed someone to believe in him because he needed to physically see that someone had hope in him. Torres explained that it’s not only important to support students in learning material, but also to encourage attendance and maintain good grades. “[The situation] was not like ‘I’m a person who gives you grades,’ it was about ‘l’m a person who cares about you,’” Torres said. This experience reminded her that teaching is about building relationships and helping students grow as people.
AVID and marine biology teacher Erika Shepard shared that one of her students in their first semester of college came back to visit and asked her to share her lessons because they were learning it again in college. This moment taught Shepard the importance of her lessons for her students’ future education and lives. “I can always do something better,” Shepard said.
