Tag Archives: Asian American Teachers

Dr. Rachael Mahmood name 2025 Illinois State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Dr. Rachael Mahmood has been named the 2025 Illinois State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Rachael Mahmood

Many outstanding educators are recognized for their dedication and innovation each year in state-wide Teacher of the Year programs. This year, the state of Illinois has selected Dr. Rachael Mahmood, an elementary teacher from Aurora, Illinois, to receive their state honors.

Rachael teaches fifth graders at Georgetown Elementary School in the Indian Prairie School District. In her classroom, she works diligently to nurture her students’ love for school through identity-affirming curriculum, engaging instructional strategies, and relationships that build a culture of care and inclusion. Her curriculum includes learning through exploration, completing hands-on projects, participating in field trips to museums, students peer-teaching kindergartners, and finding ways students can use their knowledge to improve their own communities. 

During her 20 years as a professional educator, Rachael has chaired equity teams and a diversity advisory parent group, facilitated dialogue circles, delivered professional development, and authored curriculums within her district and across the state. As a Teach Plus Fellow and the Chair of the Educational Task Force for the Muslim Civic Coalition, she leads resource design and professional development designed to accompany new educational laws passed in Illinois. 

In addition to her Teacher of the Year honors, Rachael was recognized as a semi-finalist in the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2020. She also garnered the Distinguished Alumni of Elmhurst University in 2021. Additionally, she earned the Michael Feldman Educational Leadership Award from Elmhurst University and the Rising Star Alumni Award from Benedictine University.

Rachael earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Benedictine University in 2004. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Education from Elmhurst University in 2008. She also earned a PhD in Education from Northern Illinois University in 2016.

 

Meet Virginia’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year: Avanti Yamamoto

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Virginia math teacher Avanti Yamamoto has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Richmond

There are many outstanding educators working in our nation’s schools today, all of them deserving of special recognition. One of them is Avanti Yamamoto, a high school mathematics teacher from Hanover County, Virginia. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year!

Avanti teaches precalculus and International Baccalaureate math applications and interpretations at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia. In her classroom, Avanti prioritizes critical thinking and real-world connections, ensuring that students of all abilities feel capable and supported in their learning. She says she is committed to inclusive teaching, working with students who are in special education programs all the way to advanced math courses. She also collaborates with teachers in other disciplines, working with her colleagues to design innovative math projects that blend creativity with pracical applications.

Beyond the classroom, Avanti writes a blog entitled, Beyond the Bell. She also participates in statewide presentations, where she highlights inspiring stories of educators from across the commonwealth who are making meaningful impacts and offers suggestions for creating positive environments among her colleagues. Furthermore, she has spoken internationally about educational practices, including audiences of teachers in rural Manthani, India, where she has deep personal ties.

Avanti’s passion for education was inspired by a university professor who made math accessible and exciting, Avanti says. That professor motivated her to reconsider a career in medicine, and choose instead a career path where she helps students see themselves as “math people.”

Avanti earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biomathematics from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in Education from James Madison University. In addition, she is a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Mathematics. Her career as an educator spans ten years.

In addition to her State Teacher of the Year honors, Avanti has been named a Hanover Scholars Honored Educator multiple times, and she is also a finalist for Hanover County’s Innovator of the Year award.

Meet Suborno Bari, said to be the world’s youngest professor

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Here is a video about a youngster who is said to be the world’s youngest professor. Meet Suborno Bari, a child prodigy and mathematics and science genius who became a university professor at just seven years old. He is now 12 years old, and this amazing young man is studying at New York University as a student after finishing high school in record time. Aside from the comments he makes about his experiences as both a student and as a teacher, his personal story is fascinating. This video is about eight minutes in length.

Cindy Mui-Fung garners 2024-2025 Big Apple Award

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Elementary school teacher Cindy Mui-Fung has garnered a 2024-2025 Big Apple Award from the New York City Department of Education. Photo Credit: Cindy Mui-Fung

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educational who has earned recognition for the work they do in a public school classroom. One of these is Cindy Mui-Fung, an elementary school teacher who has garnered a coveted 2024-2025 Big Apple Award from the New York City Department of Education.

Cindy teaches fifth grade at Public School 083, Luis Munoz Rivera Elementary, in Manhattan. In her classroom, Cindy emphasizes acceptance and respect, developing lifelong learners, equitable instruction, and a variety of teaching methods to support all learners. She also employs interdisciplinary curriculum mapping and project-based learning. Her career as an educator in the East Harlem area of Manhattan spans 27 years.

In addition to the work in her classroom, Cindy organizes valuable after school programs for her students. For example, she established a garden on her campus, which she and her students work hard to plant and cultivate when their academic work in the classroom in finished for the day.

The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who inspire students to be their best selves; who model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students; who affirm students’ identities; and who enrich their school communities by partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations. To learn more, click on this link to Big Apple Awards.

Music educator Honglac Hathuc to lead Crimson Regiment in 2025 Rose Parade

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The Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment from Moreno Valley, California, will appear in the 136th Tournament of Roses of Parade in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2025. Photo credit: Tournament of Roses

The Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment from Moreno Valley, California, is scheduled to appear in the 136th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2025. The group will march under the capable leadership of Director of Bands Honglac Hathuc. This is the second appearance of the 190-member group in the annual parade. Their first appearance was in 2020.

Rancho Verde High School is located near March Air Reserve Base in Riverside. This marching band that is one of the larger competitive field bands in the Inland Empire. These student musicians are diverse; in fact, they are native speakers of at least eight different languages other than English.  “There’s no bigger stage in the world for us to be on, so the kids are just really excited about getting out there and doing our thing,” declares Honglac.

The Crimson Regiment was a Grand Champion finalist of the Western Band Association Grand five times, and they qualified for the last five association state championships. They were also the 2017 World Association of Marching Show Bands World Champion, beating adult bands from around the world.

Director of Bands Honglac Hathuc will lead the Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment in this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade. Photo credit:

Honglac earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Permance at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). After UCLA he attended The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Master’s degree in Music Performance. There he was a member of the Baroque Ensemble and the Guitar Ensemble. In addition, Honglac earned both a California Single Subject Teaching Credential and an Administrative Credential. In a career that spans 25 years, Honglac has taught at Rancho Verde for the past 22 years.