After an all school mass prior to Thanksgiving at Monsignor Edward Pace High School (PACE) students, faculty and staff cheered enthusiastically as principal Garcia announced that “Teacher of the Year” had been awarded to long time fine arts teacher, Marcel Navarro. For Navarro, who has been a member of PACE’S faculty since 1999, art has always been a part of who he is and he attributes this to several individuals throughout his life. His...

The “values matter for the month” of December at Spanish Lake Elementary School featured citizenship. Sharon Wallen’s fifth grade students went caroling and visited each class throughout the school singing Bob Marley’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”. During daily morning announcements students shared the duties, obligations and functions of a citizen. They recited The Preamble to The...

There was an exuberant roar Natara Tisdol’s Miami Lakes Middle School’s classroom when she was announced as the Teacher of the Year over the public-address system. Tisdol’s name was called and her heart began to race. The feeling was surreal. Tisdol said she is humbled to be recommended and voted as Teacher of the Year. It meant a lot to be recognized by her colleagues as one deserving of such an accolade. Tisdol hopes that her students...

As an alumni of the Barbara Goleman Senior High School graduating class of 2004, it's truly an honor to be recognized at her alma mater by her colleagues and be named as Teacher of the Year. Sara Yanes is humbled to be recognized for hard work and dedication in her career. To Yanes, it means that not only are her students aware of how hard they work in the classroom but her colleagues also see the dedication to her students academic...

Irza Legra who has been named Teacher of the Year at Bob Graham Education Center (BGEC) is inspired by the wonder in children’s eyes. Whether it’s the first day of school or the last, each day students walk in wide-eyed, ready, expecting, and writing. Legra has taught 14 years at BGEC which she considers a home. Legra is the department chair of Language Arts and teaches middle school. Legra believes if you show love, empathy, compassion and...