Tag Archives: Asian American Teachers

Teachers who were Asian Americans, or who worked with Asian American student populations.

Music teacher Sarah Mae Lagasca garners coveted Milken Award

Posted on by

High school music educator Sarah Mae Lagasca of Newark, New Jersey, has garnered a prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: milkeneducatoraward.org

It is always a pleasure to share stories about talented educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Sarah Mae Lagasca, a high school music teacher from New Jersey, who has garnered a prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Educator Award.

As a music teacher at Arts High School in Newark, Sarah Mae strives to increase her students’ proficiency in music theory, composition, sight reading, vocal technique, music history, recording and production technology, marketing and branding, and personal artistic growth.

Sarah Mae has long been recognized as an innovative instructor. Throughout the pandemic, the honored educator culled and shared a variety of strategies to keep students engaged in her virtual classroom, including breakout rooms, hand signals, recordings, and online programs such as Music First, FlipGrid, and Soundtrap.

As if all that were not enough, Sarah Mae has made significant contributions to music outside of the classroom as well. She has conducted Newark’s All-City Choral Ensemble and organized workshops with professional musicians through the VH1: Save the Music Foundation and GRAMMY Museum. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and contributed to various recordings, including Arturo O’Farrill’s “Four Questions,” which won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Sarah Mae attended the Westminster Choir College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2013. Westminster is a residential conservatory of music formerly located in Princeton, New Jersey. In the Fall of 2020, the college relocated to Rider University’s Lawrenceville campus.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. Sarah Mae is one of up to 60 educators to receive the Milken Educator Award for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Elem teacher Crystal Doi of Hawaii garners prestigious 2022 PAEMST award 

Posted on by

Elementary school teacher Crystal Doi of Hawaii has garnered a prestigious 2022 PAEMST award. Photo Credit: Lifechanger.com

I always enjoy sharing stories about fine educators who have earned honors for their work in the classroom. One of these is Crystal Doi, an elementary school teacher from Hawaii who has garnered a prestigious 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Currently, Crystal is teaching sixth grade math and science at Kapunahala Elementary School in the Windward School District. Before that, she coordinated the science curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Nu’uanu Elementary School in the Honolulu District. Prior to that, she taught sixth graders at Nu’uanu Elementary School in the Honolulu District, at Lili’uokalani Elementary School, and at Nimitz Elementary School. In all, her career as an educator has spanned 15 years.

Crystal has been instrumental in developing STEM instruction in her school and in her district. She was a participant in a district-wide science program called RIP-ing Through Science. While in the program, she authored a chapter in a book called “Look at Us Now!: Making Scientific Practices Matter in the Classroom… and Beyond.” She also co-authored a presentation delivered during the NSTA 2010 National Conference of Science Education.

And as if all that were not enough, Crystal was the teacher-coordinator for her school’s Gardening and Nutrition Program entitled ‘Aina in Schools. The curriculum for this program covers sustainability, nutrition, cooperation, and agriculture —traditional and modern.  She worked with outside agencies and nonprofit groups to acquire needed materials and manpower to construct planter boxes, have soil delivered to school to fill the boxes, have the students plant various types of produce, and have the students maintain and watch these plants and vegetables grow. Then the students harvested the plants and vegetables, cooked them, and consumed what was grown.

Crystal earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Chaminade University of Honolulu and her Associate of Arts from Kapi’olani Community College. She earned her license in Early Childhood Eduction from Hawaii Teachers Standards Board. She has also completed the requirements for certifications for STEM and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, both for kindergarten through sixth grade.

Well done, Crystal!

Michelle Iwasaki garners prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Award

Posted on by

Elementary school educator Michelle Iwasaki of Hawaii garners prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Award. Photo Credit: Star Advertiser

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Michelle Iwasaki, an elementary school teacher from Hawaii who has earned a prestigious Milken Educator Awards for 2021-2022. The honor was awarded for her stellar work in improving student outcomes in her school.

Michelle works as an academic coach for students in kindergarten, first, fourth, and fifth grades at Kalihi Kai Elementary School in Honolulu. She was instrumental in initiating the school’s partnership with the Turnaround Arts, a program which transforms schools through the use of art. In addition, her creative instructional approach involves using such online programs as Tableau, Snapshot, Reading Images, and Visual Thinking to help boost student engagement and allows students to improve their proficiency in reading.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Michelle trains and mentors other teachers in art integration strategies, she conducts professional development, and she leads visitations and presentations to other schools. She trains colleagues in the use of strategies called Guided Language Acquisition Design for her English language learners, and she developed a schoolwide Response to Intervention-Academic (RTI-A) system complete with diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring, and evidence-based interventions. Michelle conducts bi-monthly classroom observations for her grade levels, shares data with teachers to help them elevate their instructional practice, and prepares new teachers for walk-throughs and observations. Furthermore, Michelle has presented at ECET2, a teacher-led community focused on teacher leadership and collaboration, as well as conferences like Read to Me and School of the Future. She serves on the school’s academic review, arts leadership and literacy grant teams, and in 2018-2019 she was also responsible for guiding her school through its accreditation process with WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges).

Michelle earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2003 and her Master’s degree in Education in 2004, both from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Congrats to Ethelyn Tumalad, Oregon’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Congratulations to high school teacher Ethelyn Tumalad of Oregon, who has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: oregonteacheroftheyear.org

Hearty congratulations to Ethelyn Tumalad, a high school educator who has been named Oregon’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Ethelyn teaches Language Arts and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) at Clackamas High School in Clackamas, Oregon. She also serves as her school’s advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union, and she participates in her District’s Educator of Color affinity group. She is part of Equity Sparks, a part of the Oregon Education Organization, where she is a champion for equitable causes in Oregon’s education system. Her career as an educator has spanned five years.

Colt Gill, Chief of State Schools, praises the honored teacher. “Ethelyn infuses her classroom with community, belonging and empathy – all critical components for ensuring students feel welcome and safe,” he asserts. Ethelyn’s students agree. In a letter of support, a former student described the exemplary teacher as “hands down one of the best and most thoughtful teachers I have ever had.” The student wrote that Ethelyn sees and treats each student who walks into her classroom like a family member and looks for ways to change their lives for the better. “She is the reason many kids even came to school … and she taught me how to be myself in a world that’s constantly telling me to be something I’m not,” the letter continued.

Perhaps Ethelyn’s emphasis on inclusion stems from the fact that she is a first-generation immigrant from The Philippines. She was only five years old when her family immigrated to the Pacific Northwest. Later, Ethelyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Western Washington University. She earned a Master’s degree in English Literature and a second Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching from Portland State University.

Congrats, Ethelyn!

Visual arts educator Kim King named Connecticut’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Elementary school visual arts educator Kim King has been named Connecticut’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: New York University

Congratulations to visual arts teacher Kim King, who has been named Connecticut’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year!

Kim splits her time between Annie E. Vinton Elementary and Southeast Elementary schools in Mansfield. Previously she taught at Riverside Magnet School in East Hartford and Westbrook High School in Westbrook in her state.

Throughout her 12-year career as a professional educator, Kim has taught students in pre-K to twelfth grade. Regardless of the grade level she works with, her curriculum explores themes of equity, empowerment, and creativity. Kim believes that creating art helps to build confidence from within, and empowers students to discover and trust their voices and ideas.

Kim’s teaching philosophy is that what our students see and what they are exposed to matters profoundly. Her colleagues appreciate this mindset. “Kim is deeply committed to student-centered practices and supports children to find their voice and express themselves through a discovery-focused process of making art,” remarked Kelly Lyman, Superintendent of Mansfield Public Schools.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Kim works with Make Us Visible Connecticut. Through this program, the Korean born teacher contributes her expertise to enhancing the Asian American/Pacific Islander curriculum. Kim believes that all students should be reflected in the American experience and in our country’s history.

In addition to her 2022 Teacher of the Year honors, Kim was the recipient of a grant from Fund for Teachers to study the art and culture of Korea. The experience helped her guide students towards understanding people and communities different from their own through art.

Kim earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Syracuse University in New York in 1993. She earned her Master’s degree in Art Education from New York University in 1999.

To learn more about Kim King, see this article published by Steinhardt Alumna.