Tag Archives: Math Teachers

California teacher David Rodriguez garners Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award

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Math and technology teacher David Rodriguez from Hesperia, California, garners coveted Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.

I love to share stories about exceptional educators who have been recognized for their hard work and talent in the classroom. One of these is David Rodriguez, a math teacher from California who has garnered a coveted Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. He is one of ten educators from around the country to be so recognized.

David teaches at Canyon Ridge High School in Hesperia in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The school offers an alternative program for students who were not succeeding in a traditional school environment. The Amazon prize comes with $25,000 of computer equipment and $25,000 in school supplies for his school.

“This is the first year that we brought coding to Canyon Ridge, and it was challenging,” explained David, “but the collaboration and discussions that happened in the classroom because of it were unforgettable. This award will allow me to expand the technology in my class,” he continued. “It means further access for students, stronger and more capable equipment for coding and ESports, and a potential for a deeper and richer learning environment.”

In his coding and Esports class, David teaches the fundamentals of coding while also bringing in the teamwork and competitive elements found within Esports.  His students have built computers, competed in Esports tournaments, and developed successful lines of code as a team. “Many of our students have learned the importance of their core classes through the lens of coding and Esports, most importantly, statistics, number sense, and the reading and comprehension of informational text,” David revealed.

Amazon selects the recipients of the Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award based on a variety of criteria. These include their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.

To read more about David, see this article published in the San Bernardino Sun.

Educator Mohammad Ahmad of New York earns an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award

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Educator Mohammad Ahmad of the Bronx, New York, earned an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.

This year, ten remarkable educators from around the country have garnered a Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. One of these is Mohammad Ahmad, a teacher at Bronx Academy of Letters in the Bronx borough of New York City. This is the first year Amazon has award the prestigious award.

Mohammad was recognized for his work to promote diversity and inclusion in computer science. “Computer science skills will be of vital importance as we take on and solve the challenges of the future,” asserted CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer Jeff Wilke.

“Growing up, I didn’t see many faces like mine in education, whether they were male or a person of color,” recalled Mohammad. “I grew up in a single-parent, low-income household. Although my mother got creative and made sure to provide us with resources or alternative resources to broaden our horizons, not all families are as privileged,” he continued. “I started teaching to make an impact on the lives of all students, to be an ally to students of color who often don’t see themselves reflected in the staff of their schools, and to try to broaden the horizons of those students who might not have access to the same resources as those from higher income families,” he concluded.

Mohammad graduated from JP Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida, in 2010. After his high school graduation, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in History, Psychology, and Arabic from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2015. He completed the requirements for his Master’s degree in Adolescent Education with an emphasis in Mathematics from St. John’s University in Temecula, California, in 2018. After several years of experience working in the private sector, Mohammad accepted a position at the Bronx Academy of Letters, where he has taught for the past four years.

All of the ten honored educators received a prize package valued at over $50,000 to be used to benefit his or her school and students. In addition, Amazon donated an additional $25,000 in school supplies, including Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablets, classroom essentials from AmazonBasics, and additional items from Amazon Essentials. Award recipients also received one full year of Amazon Music Unlimited and a 12-month Audible.com Gold Gift Membership. Mohammad and his fellow award-winners also received a $200 Amazon gift card to celebrate his hard work.

To learn more about all the winners of the award, see this link at Amazonblog.

Jessica Davis named Minnesota’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year

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Educator Jessica Davis, a math and computer science teacher from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been named her state’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

Accolades are due to educator Jessica Davis, a math and computer science teacher at South St. Paul Secondary School in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s been named her state’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

The honored educator confesses that teaching was not her first career choice. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. She considered going to medical school, but soon realized teaching was her calling. “I’m good at navigating school, and I can help people,” she revealed. That’s when she decided to obtain a Master’s degree in Teaching and her teaching credential, both from Hamline University.

Jessica accepted her first teaching position at St. Paul’s Harding High School in 2006. She transferred to South St. Paul, where she has taught since 2009.  Today she teaches math and computer science to junior and seniors. She is also coaches the school’s math team.

Jessica also serves as the advisor of several student organizations on campus. These include the African American Student Organization, Sexuality and Gender Alliance, Comunidad De Latinos Unidos, and Women’s Society. She believes these organizations encourage students to see their potential. “Representation matters,” Jessica asserts. “It’s important to see yourself in who’s at the front of the classroom, in your literature, in your writings. It’s important to see yourself doing things that are important, that are giving back to the community,” she continues. “It is important for our students to see that they have a place in this community, and until they see those faces also doing it, it’s hard for them to imagine themselves in that spot.”

Read more about Jessica at this link by Education Minnesota.

Educator Jaime Escalante taught his students to Stand and Deliver

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Celebrated educator Jaime Escalante: He taught his students to Stand and Deliver.

One of the most well-known teachers in twentieth-century American history, Jaime Escalante, passed away in 2010, but already his story is fading from our collective cultural memory. He was the teacher portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver.

The recipient of numerous awards and special praise from President Ronald Reagan, Jaime Escalante was a popular and talented teacher who challenged supposedly “unteachable” inner-city Latino students to achieve beyond a level anyone thought them capable of. He eventually led them to unparalleled success on the extremely difficult Advanced Placement Calculus exam.

In researching Jaime’s life story for my own book, Chalkboard Champions, I learned some surprising facts about this remarkable educator. For example, the movie never mentions that prior to immigrating to the United States, he earned a degree in mathematics and a teaching credential in Bolivia. Jaime was a veteran teacher with nine years of experience in prestigious schools when he decided to leave his politically unstable homeland and come to America in search of a better life for his family. Once he arrived, unable to speak a word of English, Jaime discovered that his education, training, and experience held no value here.

Determined to return to the classroom, Escalante set about learning the English language and earning his university degree all over again. It took him ten years to get back into the classroom, at a significant cut in pay, by the way. But to this dedicated teacher, it was well-worth the hard work. A well-researched and well-written account of this celebrated educator’s life can be found in the biographical book Jaime Escalante: The Best Teacher in America by Jay Matthews. For a condensed version of Jaime Escalante’s life, check out chapter 12 my volume, Chalkboard Champions. Either way, you’ll find his story compelling and inspiring.

Math educator, soccer coach, and outstanding athlete Lorraine Fitzhugh

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High school math educator and coach Lorraine Fitzhugh of Minden, Nevada, has also earned acclaim as a women’s soccer player.

There are countless examples of outstanding athletes who have gone on to successful careers as educators. One of these is Lorraine Fitzhugh, an outstanding soccer player who went on to coach and teach in Minden, Nevada.

After her high school graduation, Lorraine attended Washington State University, where she played soccer for her college team. Her position was defender. Between 1985 and 1987, she trained with the Western Regional team of the US National program. later, she played for a soccer club based in Seattle. That club won an over-30 national championship. In 1986, Lorraine competed with the US team in a play-off match against Canada for the North American Cup title. In that match, the US team emerged victorious.

In 1999, Lorraine accepted a position as a mathematics and technology teacher at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School in Gardnerville, Nevada. The next year, she transferred to Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada. There she served as the coach of the boys’ junior varsity soccer team. The following year, she became Head Coach of the girls’ soccer team. Over the next eight years, she led her girls to two state titles, two regional championships, and three Sierra League titles. She retired from coaching in 2013.

Lorraine’s career as an educator has spanned 20 years. She continues to teach math, AP Computer Science, and Computer Science Principles. She also serves her school as a STEAM leader. To read more about this amazing athlete and educator, see this link at the Record-Courier.