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Tag: A-Plus Teachers

  • A+ Teacher shares classroom experiences with parents

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Avery Ortiz teaches first grade at Moon Lake Elementary. She has been teaching there for four years.

    Before graduating from St. Petersburg College, she started at the school as an instructional assistant and then became an intern. She says she was hired as a teacher after graduating.

    What You Need To Know

    • Avery Ortiz teaches first grade at Moon Lake Elementary. She has been teaching there for four years

    • Ortiz started at the school as an instructional assistant and then became an intern – all before being hired as a teacher
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? 🍎 Click here

    “I love watching the kids grow throughout the entire year. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing how much they can learn in one school year and getting to watch kids learn how to read is the most rewarding journey,” said Ortiz.

    “I love being here. It’s my favorite part of my day.”

    Ortiz faced a challenge earlier this school year when she broke her leg and had to miss some days in the classroom. She said she couldn’t wait to get back.

    “I couldn’t imagine not being with them. For two weeks, especially first-graders, that’s a really long time to be without them. And the entire time I kept thinking, they need me and I need to be back,” said Ortiz.

    A parent nominated her to be featured as an A+ Teacher, saying her child is now happy to be at school thanks to Ortiz.

    “I do it all for the kids and honestly just making sure that they feel loved and safe in the classroom is my biggest job. And I’m glad to know that I am doing that for the kids,” said Ortiz.

    Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher for a future story? Click here and fill out the submission form.

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    Jorja Roman

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  • Polk County teacher retiring after 31 years in education

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — Edith Thomas has been working in Polk County Public Schools for 31 years.

    She started out as the school nurse at R. Bruce Wagner Elementary and then decided to become a paraeducator. She says she wanted to help children in her community.

    “I still enjoy what I do, and that just fuels me to strive and be great at what I do now,” Thomas said.

    What You Need To Know

    • Edith Thomas started her career as a school nurse
    • Now a paraeducator who specializes in reading, she retiring after 31 years with Polk County Public Schools

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    During the school day, she helps children with reading and math.

    Outside of school, she tutors students daily for free. She is retiring at the end of this school year, and her son, Renard, wanted to recognize her for her dedication and commitment to her students.

    “She’ll go to the moon and back for you,” Renard Thomas said. “And especially for her students here at RBW.”

    He was featured as an A+ Teacher two years ago. He was a reading coach who was driving students to and from school during a bus driver shortage. Now he’s the assistant principal at Loughman Oaks Elementary.

    “Just to see how she interacted with students, that made me want to become an educator, as well,” Rendard said. “And she pushed me to get my bachelor’s degree then my master’s degree, as well.”

    Edith Thomas said retiring now wasn’t the plan, but it’s what is best for her health. Thomas said she plans to volunteer at the school a few days a week.

    “I’m going to miss it,” she said. “But I’m always going to come back. What I hope to leave behind is my compassion, my love.”

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    Jorja Roman

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  • Ruskin teacher helps juggle school’s Head Start program and food pantry

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    RUSKIN, Fla. — Magali Garcia-Rosado has been a teacher for 25 years. She says she loves helping young students learn and grow.

    “My kids are everything to me,” Garcia-Rosado said. “They come into the classroom and they’re always talking about how happy they are, they’re talking about giving warm hugs. They are curious learners.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Magali Garcia-Rosado is the Head Start teacher at Ruskin Elementary 

    • Garcia-Rosado also runs the school’s food pantry 

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Garcia-Rosado said she loves the interaction with the little ones and watching them grow every day.

    “I love to see the process of learning,” she said.

    Garcia-Rosado is the Head Start teacher at Ruskin Elementary. She’s been there for seven years. A parent reached out to nominate Garcia-Rosado to be featured as an A+ Teacher, saying she is always there for her students and their families. 

    “It makes me feel very humbled that my families see me as someone who supports not just the children but also them,” she said. “Because I am a firm believer that I am working with the parent. The parent is the first teacher and I come along to support them.”

    Garcia-Rosado also helps run the school’s food pantry. Families can get food there every Wednesday. That’s one of her many contributions to the school.

    “She focuses on the whole child so not just academics, but social, emotional growth as well,” said Ruskin Elementary Principal Jeanine Saddler. “I have never seen anything like it in a Head Start or Pre-K classroom.”

    Garcia-Rosado is certainly making a difference.

    “When we see the children learning, it just humbles me and it gives me such great joy to see that everything that we have worked towards, we begin to see it,” said Garcia-Rosado.

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  • Bradenton teacher helps students find a love for reading

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Ann Hunsader is the fourth-grade reading teacher at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School. 

    And for her, the best part of the job is her students. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Ann Hunsader is a fourth-grade reading teacher at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton 

    • She’s been a teacher for 30 years, spending almost half that time in Bradenton
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “They’re just so curious and they just want to learn,” Hunsader said. “And especially I would say because I teach reading, we can have some really great discussions. They’re just starting to come into their own and I love that about them.”

    She’s been a teacher for 30 years. She’s spent half of that time teaching in Bradenton where she grew up. Hunsader said she builds relationships with every student and that helps them learn.

    “Our promise is that every child should be known and every child should be valued,” said Hunsader. She went on to say, “I know which kids like chess. I know the strengths of the kids. I know where the kids need help. And they’re not just a number to us.”

    Hunsader’s husband also works at the school as the Athletic Facilities Director.

    “I keep telling her, you touch these kids’ lives more than you think,” said Dan Krone.

    A parent reached out to nominate Hunsader to be featured as an A+ Teacher for her commitment to her students and the school.

    “That’s the type of teacher that I strive to be and to know that she saw that in me,” Hunsader said. “(It) just really touches me.”

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    Jorja Roman

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  • Lake Alfred teacher helps students find passion for agriculture

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    LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — Melanie Carvajal is in her second year teaching, and she’s already making a big impact on her students.

    She is the agriculture teacher at Lake Alfred Polytech Academy.

    What You Need To Know

    • Melanie Carvajal teaches agriculture at Lake Alfred Academy 

    • Carvajal is in her second year of teaching
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “Essentially, the kids are getting to learn about animal husbandry so taking care of animals, raising them, as well as how agriculture impacts our life,” said Carvajal.

    Carvajal has created a positive environment in her classroom.

    “Every morning, we have a saying. I say it, and they repeat back to me. We say, ‘Good morning, eyes up, hearts up, mind sharp, compassion on full blast.’ That’s a positive mindset for the day,” said Carvajal.

    “She’s energetic, she’s enthusiastic. She wants to bring the passion to her students,” said Broderick Ogzewalla, the assistant principal.

    Ogzewalla taught agriculture to Carvajal when she was in school, and now things have come full circle.

    “My child is actually a sixth grader and is in her class now. So the lessons that I taught her, she took those, she has her own lessons, and she’s teaching them to my child,” said Ogzewalla.

    She is passionate about agriculture and helping her students learn every aspect of it. Carvajal says her students get to compete in different contests through FFA.

    In addition to learning the material, Carvajal wants her students to leave her class with life lessons.

    “I truly just want them leaving knowing what kindness and respect looks like. They should know how to treat others, how to treat animals, and how to treat themselves truthfully,” said Carvajal.

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  • A+ Teacher guiding next generation of nurses

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Minerva Swanston is the nursing instructor at Pinellas Technical College and helps her students work towards earning their license to become a nurse. She’s been teaching there for 10 years. 

    “I love it and I’m trying to not just teach them to be nurses but to love it,” she said.

    Swanston started nursing in 1984.

    What You Need To Know

    • Minerva Swanston is the nursing instructor at Pinellas Technical College

    • Swanston started nursing in 1984. She said she truly loves being a nurse and teaching the next generation

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “Spanish was my first language so needless to say learning medical, it’s not only English, it’s also medical. Medical is a whole language in itself so that was really challenging,” said Swanston.

    Swanston said she truly loves being a nurse and teaching the next generation. She says many of her students work full-time on top of coming to school.

    “The fact that you’re making somebody with four kids, a single mother, get a better job to help her kids have a better life,” Swanston said. “It’s so inspiring to us. It’s just what keeps us here.”

    PTC Student Services Counselor Merritt Scott nominated Swanston to be featured as an A+ Teacher.

    “I think so much of you and so many students do. You’ve touched so many lives. And you deserve a thank you,” Scott said to Swanston when we visited her class.

    “It’s great to be appreciated. It really is. It made me cry. But I’m happy that it’s working for my students and that they appreciate it,” said Swanston.

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  • A+ Teacher now teaches at elementary school she attended 

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    MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — Melissa Spencer made a career change 18 years ago and has never looked back. She was in accounting but then she went back to school to become a teacher. 

    “It’s what I wanted to do when I switched careers was to be able to make a difference and be that teacher, like the teachers I had,” said Spencer.

    What You Need To Know

    • Melissa Spencer teaches fifth grade made at Myakka City Elementary 

    • She helps her students relate to the material by applying what they’re learning to life

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    She teaches fifth grade math at Myakka City Elementary. She helps her students relate to the material by applying what they’re learning to life.

    “A lot of times I try to relate anything to money and earning and spending because they are like, ‘oh you’re talking about money I know that.’ It’s a tangible thing to them so it makes sense to them,” said Spencer.

    Spencer is teaching in the school she attended growing up.

    “This is also my home school. I was a student here so I’ve been here a long time and this actually used to be my mother-in-law’s classroom,” said Spencer.

    Before coming to this school four years ago, she taught middle and high school students. Spencer says that helps her prepare her students for what’s to come.

    “I remember being that sixth grader coming from Myakka City that was bussed into town and it was very overwhelming and very daunting. And I don’t want them to feel that way. I want them to be prepared,” said Spencer.

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  • A+ Teacher and her family dedicated to education in Pasco

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Kelly Rutherford has been a teacher for 35 years.

    She helps her students grow academically and socially while instilling a love for learning.

    What You Need To Know

    • Kelly Rutherford is a career teacher who has worked in Pasco for 35 years 

    • Currently, she teaches kindergarten at Cotee River Elementary and she’s also the color guard instructor at Gulf High School

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “That to me is the best feeling in the world, that you’ve made a difference in a child’s life, that you’ve given them access to things they didn’t have access to before and now they can communicate in different ways,” said Rutherford.

    She’s experiencing that in a district she loves. Rutherford and her family members have always attended Pasco County schools.

    “Grew up here, went to school here, my father grew up here, my grandmother grew up here, my children have grown up here. We’ve all been in Pasco County schools our whole lives,” said Rutherford.

    Rutherford teaches kindergarten at Cotee River Elementary. She’s also the color guard instructor at Gulf High School, which is her alma mater. She was also in the color guard when she was in high school.

    “The kids motivate me to come here, to see a finished show, to see the growth every time we come to band practice and we fix something or something gets better,” said Rutherford. 

    Rutherford’s husband is the band director at Gulf High, and their children help out too. The Rutherford family is committed to helping students reach their full potential.

    “Whether they’re 5-year-olds or they’re 16 or 17-year-olds, everybody has a chance to be involved in a group and to learn and to love to learn and be a part of something bigger,” said Rutherford.

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  • Myakka City teacher recognized for her dedication to helping students

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    MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — Faith Piper has been a teacher for 12 years. She has spent the last seven years at Myakka City Elementary School.

    She is the ESE resource teacher. Initially, she taught general education but quickly found her passion was teaching students who need a little extra help.

    “I realized very quickly that what I loved most in my classroom was working with my students who had learning challenges or just needed that little bit of extra support,” said Piper.

    What You Need To Know

    • Faith Piper is an ESE resource teacher at Myakka City Elementary School

    • Piper has been a teacher for 12 years

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Piper didn’t want to be a teacher when she first started college, even though she comes from a family of educators. But she fell in love with teaching during her first semester of college and ended up switching her major. 

    Throughout the school day, she works with groups of students, helping them with reading, math or whatever subject they need assistance with.

    “A lot of my students come to me and they’re very shy or they’re very reserved because they know that they struggle and when they’re in here, the whole goal is to feel empowered and for them to leave my room knowing, ‘Maybe that’s hard but in here we’ve got this and I’m getting better,’” said Piper.

    Piper says she tracks her students’ progress so she can show them how well they’re doing.

    “We just did our first quarter check ins and most of my students have gained, we track our words per minute that we read, and they’ve gained 30 to 40 words in a minute, which is remarkable progress,” said Piper.

    One of her colleagues nominated Piper to be our next A+ Teacher.

    “Faith is such an asset to our school. She is so helpful,” said Ashley Davis, who is a VE teacher at Myakka City Elementary.

    “For someone to kind of look at me and say, ‘Oh, she’s doing a great job and I want to recognize her,’ it’s an amazing honor,” said Piper.

    Piper shared what she loves about her job.

    “Every year is different, and every day is different, and you get to know so many really cool little people and you get to help them become even cooler bigger people,” said Piper.

    Piper is five months into graduate school. She’s working towards getting her master’s degree in educational leadership. Her goal is to become a principal one day.

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  • A+ Teacher shows students how to live healthy lifestyle 

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    PARRISH, Fla. — Coach Clifford Lim never pictured himself becoming an elementary school teacher.

    Now he can’t picture himself doing anything else. He teaches physical education at Harvey K-8 at Copperstone in Manatee County. He teaches his students the basics and how to live a healthy lifestyle.

    What You Need To Know

    • Coach Clifford Lim teaches PE at Harvey K-8 at Copperstone in Manatee County

    • Lim was a minister first and then transitioned into a career in education
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “You don’t have to be a body builder. You don’t have to be a marathon winner. You just have to keep up with your exercise and stay fit,” said Lim.

    He teaches more than 1,000 students and wears many hats.

    “Yeah I’m an eye glass fixer, I’m a counselor, I’m a nurse, I’m a mom, I’m a dad. We do everything out here,” said Lim. 

    A parent nominated him to be our A+ Teacher, saying he was a saving grace for her son. Lim says he wants the best for every student.

    “Regardless of what’s going on in their life, they just need that stability that someone’s going to love them for who they are regardless,” said Lim.

    He didn’t start out teaching. Lim was a minister first and then transitioned into a career in education.

    “I always loved playing with the kids and everything but I never thought I would be a teacher so it’s one of those aspects God honestly put me where I’m supposed to be and I’ve been enjoying it ever since,” said Lim.

    In addition to teaching, Lim leads a running club in the morning which helps get kids active before the school day begins.

    “It’s just motivating them, having them set goals, and just going after their goals and doing what they need to do to achieve those goals,” said Lim. 

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  • Pinellas County teacher fosters kindness in her classroom

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jessica LoGrande, who has been a teacher in Pinellas County for 11 years, says she was in school herself when she decided she wanted to be a teacher.

    “I always kept notes of what I liked of teachers and what I didn’t like and tried to embody that in my teaching,” she said.

    LoGrande, who currently teaches second grade, has been at Woodlawn Elementary School for nine years, and said she enjoys building lasting connections with her students.

    “I spend a lot of time in the first few weeks of school really building the classroom community and trying to uplift everyone, and make sure that everyone is positive and kind,” she said.

    “We do a lot of lunches together, we have conversations outside of academic times about our lives,” she said. “I share about myself, they share about themselves. We really get to know each other on a deeper level and it kind of bonds us forever.”

    LoGrande said the motto in her classroom is: “Be kind to yourself, be kind to others.” She said she hopes her students will carry that with them when they leave her class.

    “I hope that they continue to be kind humans and to spread kindness throughout the world,” LoGrande said.

    Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here.

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  • Young A+ Teacher gives her all for a ‘fun, learning environment’

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Our A+ Teacher this week is Hailey Cosby from Samoset Elementary School in Bradenton.

    Cosby is only in her third year teaching, but her colleagues say she goes above and beyond for her students, and stands above the rest. Cosby’s fifth grade class is a calming, fun place to learn.

    “I do what I can to make it fun for them,” Cosby said. “So my classroom is the way it is. I spend weeks preparing and setting it up, I give them prizes and snacks, and make sure they have the necessitates they need, but also these kids deserve to have fun, a fun learning environment just like everybody else.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Hailey Cosby teaches 5th grade at Samoset Elementary School in Bradenton

    • Cosby is only in her third year teaching but said it’s important to her to be a trusted adult in her students’ lives

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here.


    Students worked on their math skills this day, which can be challenging, but luckily, they have Ms. Cosby guiding them every step of the way. 

    She says it’s important to her to be a trusted adult in her students’ lives.

    “Seeing that lightbulb turn on for them, especially if they haven’t had anyone in the past who believed in them, or was able to help push them where they needed to be, being able to be that for some of them is really amazing,” she said.

    Hailey Cosby is this week’s A+ Teacher. (Spectrum News/Fallon Silcox)

    Samoset Elementary School is a title one school, which can present more challenges for teachers, challenges Cosby happily faces head on.  She also interned here before she started teaching here three years ago, and she says there’s no where else she’d rather be.

    “If you’re passionate about it, and I truly am, then it’s what you’re meant to do, and I really feel it’s what I’m meant to do and where I’m meant to be,” she said.

    Cosby said she puts her whole heart into teaching and in turn her students put their whole heart into learning.

    If you would like to nominate a teacher who is making a difference, you can find the A+ Teacher nomination form on our website.

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  • Third grade teacher loves ‘light bulb goes off’ moment from students

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – This week’s Bay News 9 A+ Teacher is from Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg.   

    Khana Rebman was nominated by a colleague who says she goes above and beyond for her third-grade students, making each of them feel seen and special.

    What You Need To Know

    • Khana Rebman, a third-grade teacher at St. Pete’s Shorecrest Prep, is this week’s A+ Teacher 

    • Rebman was nominated by a colleague who says she goes above and beyond for her students

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Rebman says she likes using activities to get to know each of her students.

    She loves seeing them rally around each other, working together. Rebman said seeing the little light bulbs go off is one of her favorite parts of being an educator.

    “I recognize that learning can only happen when a kid feels seen and feels like they belong,” Rebman said. “And as someone who truly cares about establishing those relationships, once that is done, then I know that any teaching can blossom.” 

    The seemingly innate ability to connect with students runs in the family, too. Ms. Rebman says her grandmother is a retired educator, and she grew up knowing she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

    “She would take me to tutoring sessions at the local community center, or church tutoring, and while she’s there, I’m there helping, and it was the kids who really let me know that I may have had a calling for this,” she said.

    Now, Ms. Rebman is able to follow her true calling each and every day, inspiring students at Shorecrest to do, and be, their very best.

    If you would like to nominate a teacher who is making a difference, you can find the A+ Teacher nomination form on our website.

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  • A+ Teacher Jennifer Swanson

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    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Each Tuesday morning, Spectrum Bay News 9 features an A+ Teacher who is inspiring and leading students across the Tampa Bay.

    Jennifer Swanson is a kindergarten teacher at Pinellas Central Elementary, and her principal nominated her, saying she finds something in every student to love and makes them feel like they belong.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jennifer Swanson is a kindergarten teacher at Pinellas Central Elementary School

    • She was nominated by her principal for her work with her kids

    • She works to make sure each student is appreciated and feels like they belong


    It’s hard to say who’s more excited by Jennifer Swanson being named our A+ Teacher, her, or her students. Her principal made the official announcement to her class, “The news is here, and she’s our Bay News 9 A+ Teacher of the week, can we congratulate her?,” and all the kids screamed, cheering for Ms. Swanson.

    While she was taken by surprise, Jennifer says the hugs and congratulations that came after were well worth the shock. Jennifer normally teaches kindergarten, but she taught first graders for summer bridge. She says there’s nowhere she’d rather be this summer break.

    “I love the kids. I love spending time with them every day. They’re just my whole reason to come here. I just love it. I love my job. I think they’re so fun, and I love getting hugs and feeling like a superstar every day,” said Jennifer.

    Her students are known as the “Swanson Sweeties” on campus, and it’s just one of the ways she makes each child feel like they’re appreciated and belong, which is very important during the first year of school.

    “I like being their first experience with school and showing them learning can be fun and just being happy to come to school every day, I love that,” said Jennifer.

    “They learn so much. They go from not knowing their letters and sounds to reading books to me and I feel like, ‘oh my gosh, I get to teach someone something they’re going to do every day for the rest of their life’, it just makes me so happy,” she said.

    Jennifer says knowing she’s having that kind of impact on these little lives keeps her going.

    If you would like to nominate a teacher who is making a difference, you can find the A+ Teacher nomination form on our website.

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • After years of preparation, this A+ Teacher has arrived

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Julie Hoffman is ready to go for the school year. She spent days this week setting up her classroom, making sure everything is just right.

    Hoffman teaches at Wesley Chapel Elementary.     

    And if her classroom is an extension of her home, her students are an extension of her family.

    “I think watching them learn, see something new, it’s all about them,” said Hoffman. “So that’s what drives me. I absolutely love my job.”

     Her mom was also a teacher, and she always knew she would be one, too.

    “I used to take notes on my teachers,” she said. “Like things I liked that they did and things I didn’t like, so that I knew when I went to school what I would do, So there was never any doubt that I was going to be a teacher.” 

     

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Land O’ Lakes teacher reflects on school year

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — Christine Gomez finished an exciting school year at Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes. She was awarded Teacher of the Year there. Gomez has been teaching civic education for 12 years.

    What You Need To Know

    • Christine Gomez teaches at Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes, where she earned a Teacher of the Year honor

    • Gomez has been teaching civic education for 12 years, the last four at Land O’ Lakes

    • She started a program called TeaCHEERS to support students 
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    “I’ve had a passion for civics and American history, law pretty much from the age of these students that I teach,” said Gomez.

    She’s been teaching at Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes for four years.

    ”Knowing the impact that I can have on the next generation, being a part of their lives, not just seeing them grow academically but also developing their character, is truly important to me. And I do see teaching as a service to my country,” said Gomez.

    Gomez wants her to students to feel supported in her classroom and when they’re pursing their passions. She started a program called TeaCHEERS.

    “We have teachers writing handwritten notes that the students would get on game day that say, ‘Great job out there. We’re supporting you. We believe in you. And remember what it means to be an ‘Imagine Dragon,’” said Gomez.

    Those notes are written for students doing any activity outside of school. That’s one way Gomez connects with her students.

    “If I can build up confidence in these students and also I can build that relationship with students, they start to see that they start to excel in all areas of their life,” said Gomez.

    She says she is already looking forward to having an impact on another group of students next school year.

    “To know that the impact that I can have on these students, I don’t take that lightly at all. It’s really an honor so when I have new students come in, I know for whatever reason I’m meant to be their teacher for that year, and it’s very exciting for me.”

    Over the summer, Gomez says she’ll be working on a presentation for a forum in August with other Imagine Schools.

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  • Port Richey teacher sets up students for first grade

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    PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Garrett Lownds started as a substitute at Chasco Elementary School and then started teaching full time. He teaches kindergarten and loves seeing the progress his students make.

    “Starting off some kids couldn’t even write their names and now they’re reading and writing, and I’m so proud of them and impressed,” said Lownds.

    What You Need To Know

    • Garrett Lownds started as a substitute at Chasco Elementary School and then started teaching full time

    • Lownds teaches kindergarten and loves seeing the progress his students make

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Lownds wants to instill a love for learning that extends beyond his students’ early years in school. He does that by making learning fun and being consistent in the classroom.

    “I just like to set clear expectations and routines so they can achieve their goals and be able to be successful knowing they’ll be doing this this year and then next year they have the same expectations and the same goals, and just remind them that they know what they need to do,” said Lownds.

    A parent nominated him to be featured as an A+ Teacher. Lownds says he has a lot of support to be able to excel at Chasco Elementary.

    “All of the other teaches, the coaches, the administration here, they give me so much support it’s easy to be a good role model and good teacher,” said Lownds.

    Lownds says he hopes his students will remember their time in his classroom.

    “I want to be one of those teachers where these kids are going to think back like, ‘I miss Mr. Lownds’ or ‘I’m so happy that I had him,’ and throughout their life will remember me,” said Lownds.

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    Jorja Roman

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  • A+ Teacher recognized for his success

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — Chad Mallo has only been teaching at Angeline Academy of Innovation for two years, but he is already making a huge difference.

    He teaches entrepreneurship, and is helping his students learn the ins and outs of running a business. He makes his lessons fun. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Chad Mallo is this week’s A+ Techer

    • The Angeline Academy of Innovation instructor says his students are learning the skills they need for after graduation

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here.

    “We learn in my class,” he said. “But if you come in my classroom, we’re going to be laughing a lot. And we are learning, I promise.”

    Mallo says building relationships with his students is a priority. 

    “I just try to build that rapport with them,” he said. “I want them to be happy here and I give advice the best I can.”

    He followed his own advice when he started teaching eight years ago after 20 years in banking.

    “One of those in the mirror questions: ‘Am I in the right profession? Am I really making a positive impact on people’s lives?’” he said. “And I looked back and answered my own question.”

    Mallo said he always wanted to be a teacher. 

    “The goal is to be a mentor, and I try to mentor students and other professionals and our teachers,” he said. “They mentor me, I mentor them. We’re a team here.”

    His students are learning the skills they need for after graduation — like creating a resume and interviewing for a job. 

    “I just want to make sure that I’m helping students and I can impact (and) make a student happy,” said Mallo.

    Mallo was Pasco County Schools’ CTE Teacher of the Year in 2024 in his first year teaching at Angeline Academy.

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  • Mom credits A+ Teacher with saving her son’s life

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A local mom nominated Kimberly Hall to be featured as an A+ Teacher, saying the Brigham Academy second grade teacher saved her son’s life.

    What You Need To Know

    • A local mom nominated Kimberly Hall to be featured as an A+ Teacher, saying the Brigham Academy second grade teacher saved her son’s life

    • Quixote Gary, who goes by Q, is a second-grader in Hall’s class 

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Ordaz’s son Quixote Gary, who goes by Q, is in Hall’s second grade class.

    “He’s just such a bundle of joy,” said Hall.

    She noticed that Q was having a hard time seeing the board in her classroom, and moving him closer did not help.

    “She noticed his eyes were kind of moving, they were kind of shaky,” Ordaz said. “Then she’s like, ‘There’s something wrong with that baby’s eyes.’”

    Ordaz said she was already taking Q to doctors to figure out what was going on. But after talking to Hall, she immediately brought him to a specialist, and then the emergency room. Q was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

    “That was never the news I expected to get,” Hall said. “It was kind of earth-rocking.”

    “Knowing that she caught it means the world to me,” Ordaz said.

    In November, Q had half of the tumor removed. Ordaz said he’s doing much better, but will eventually need another surgery. She believes Hall saved her son’s life.

    “Makes me feel like he’s in my life for a reason,” Hall said. “He’s just such a sweet boy. We knew for a fact that he had so much more left to give in his life.”

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  • A+ Teacher recognized by former student turned colleague

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Andrea Maltese has been teaching for 30 years at Moon Lake Elementary. She has a true passion for education.

    What You Need To Know

    • Andrea Maltese is this week’s A+ Teacher

    • Maltese helps teachers create plans to make sure the students are successful

    • She was nominated by a former student

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher for a future story? Click here


    “I love seeing the looks on the kid’s faces, the adult’s faces, when something finally clicks. That is probably the most rewarding aspect of this job,” said Maltese.

    She is currently a humanities coach focusing on instructional training for reading, writing and social studies. Maltese helps teachers create plans to make sure the students are successful.

    “I visit classrooms and do walk-throughs to see if everything we’ve planned is coming to fruition and our students are positively responding. I get a chance to still connect with my kids and ask them how things are going,” said Maltese.

    Maltese also works with students in small groups, which helps her build relationships with them.

    “I think it’s that trust, that connection that we have with our kids and making sure that learning is fun and I try to make it fun every day for them, but also [let them] know that I believe in them,” said Maltese.

    Maltese was nominated to be featured as our A+ Teacher this week by a former student. Kiley Witfoth was in her second-grade class. She now teaches kindergarten at Moon Lake Elementary.

    “She’s made such a big impact to the school, to the community, because my brother also had her as a teacher and my parents still talk about her sometimes,” said Witfoth.

    “You do everything and you set them off and you hope you’ll see them again so the fact that she came back to work here but then she nominated me is just very humbling and very inspirational to others I think,” said Maltese.

    “This is a pure example of when we have great education and fun learning and engaged learning that we can have our students want to come back and teach again and do the same thing for kids they have in front of them.”

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