Last week at the CU Men鈥檚 basketball Teacher Appreciation Day, six CU 麻豆影院 alumni and partner teachers received special recognition on the court during the halftime break. All six dedicated, local educators were nominated and honored by CU Athletics and the CU 麻豆影院 School of Education. Meet them here below and learn how they all bring equity into their classrooms.
Diana Bustamante-Aguilar is a CU 麻豆影院 alumna in her first year of teaching Geography and US History at Denver South High School.听
鈥淒iana is a model of what educators can and should be,鈥� her nominator said. 鈥淪he is invested in every student who enters her classroom; these students are better people for having had her as their teacher.鈥澨�
Bustamante-Aguilar鈥檚 main focus has been creating classroom environments that empowers students to think boldly and take risks.听
鈥淢y favorite part of being a teacher is getting to have the opportunity to work with young people who are representative of my own community,鈥� Bustamante-Aguilar said. 鈥淚 love being able to connect with students and build relationships with them.鈥�
Meghan Mosher听is a CU Teach alumna who has taught biology and environmental science at Monarch High School in 麻豆影院 for six years. She teaches with patience and kindness, encouraging students when they struggle and celebrating them when they succeed.听
鈥淢eghan instills a sense of purpose in all the work she asks the students to do.听 She is reflective and continues to push herself to make sure that all student voices are heard and valued,鈥� her nominator said. 鈥淪he embodies the SOE commitments to equity and justice.鈥澨�
Mosher loves it when her students inquire about the world around them.听
鈥淢y favorite part about being a teacher is to help students ask questions and to inspire them to be curious, lifelong learners,鈥� Mosher said.听
Brian Huey has taught fourth grade at Burlington Elementary in Longmont for over 16 years. As a clinical mentor and School of Education Masters graduate, 鈥淏rian continues to be a highly-dedicated and skillful teacher,鈥� his nominator said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 that gem of a teacher who truly cares about the experience of his students inside and out of the classroom.鈥�
Huey鈥檚 love for his role as teacher is evident to his students and his colleagues.听
鈥淢y favorite part is that I work with children who remind me each day to work hard and not take myself too seriously,鈥� Huey said.
Mary Gilreath is a first grade English teacher in the dual immersion program at University Hill Elementary in 麻豆影院. She鈥檚 invested in creating safe, inclusive classroom environments for all students.听
鈥淢ary is a leader in her school district in enacting gender and family diversity-inclusive practices,鈥� Gilreath鈥檚 nominator said. 鈥淲e don't know another teacher whose commitments to creating safe, affirming classrooms for LGBTQ students and families are greater.鈥澨�
She is always open to opportunities to grow and learn as an educator.
鈥淭here are always new developments and new research in education, and it's fun to collaborate and work with other educators and students of education in my classroom,鈥� Gilreath said.听
Tori Hardy is in her third year teaching fourth grade at Pennock Elementary in Brighton while pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity at the School of Education through the BUENO Center. Hardy finds motivation in her passion for equity.听
鈥淭ori prioritizes equity and justice in her professional work by serving her diverse student community, supporting new student teachers, and engaging in and sharing her Master's program studies,鈥� Hardy鈥檚 nominator said.
鈥淢y favorite part of being an educator is that moment when a student who has never felt seen, realizes their potential and worth when they鈥檙e in my room,鈥� Hardy said.听
Yesenia Perez
听teaches Spanish in the Dual Language Immersion program at Cottonwood Plains Elementary in Loveland, while pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in educational equity and cultural diversity at the School of Education through the BUENO Center.
Perez, a native Puerto Rican, understands first hand the challenges and value of a bilingual education, and it is experience she鈥檚 been expertly imparting to students for over 17 years.听
鈥淵esenia strives to provide multiple pathways in order to provide access, equity and support for each learner,鈥� her nominator said. 鈥淯tilizing her personal experience as a second language learner is what sets Yesenia apart from other teachers, she teaches from the heart and own cultural reality.鈥�
Perez loves teaching because she 鈥渓oves the feeling [she gets]鈥hat magical moment you feel like crying from joy, when a struggling student gets it When you see it in their eyes and in their answers that they have understood what you have been explaining and they can now use it. That feeling is life!鈥�
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