It is with great pride that we congratulate our Miami Lakes K-8 Center Teacher of the Year, Kristina Cala!
Cala is a phenomenal gifted teacher, has educated students for 12 years, and is a role model to others. She exhibits dedication and persistence in teaching students and giving them the fun learning environment they deserve.
Her passion for teaching was inspired by her mother, Gladys Pineda, who is also an educator and played a big part in her decision to become a teacher. Cala has always known that her career would involve helping children and providing a love for learning. As a teenager, she exhibited characteristics of a teacher and applied herself as the “mother hen” amongst her friends.
Cala is happily married and has two beautiful children who have impacted her as a person and a teacher. They taught her that not only do they want to learn, but they want to have fun doing it. As a parent, she wants to hear about their day. They are not going to come home talking about that hard math test, they’re going to come home talking about that fun project they did in science. Cala applies this in her classroom where she teaches all the core subjects while incorporating fun learning experiences that make any lesson memorable.
Being Teacher of the Year is a huge honor and privilege that Cala does not take lightly. She genuinely cares about her students. She makes every effort to engage with them so that they will get the maximum benefit from what is being taught in class, while at the same time giving them the confidence and resilience to believe in themselves and their abilities. Learning is a process that will shape their future, but it is how children receive this information that will make them want to stand up and lead successful careers, be the parents, working adults, and productive members of tomorrow’s society. Thank you to Mrs. Cala for making the future that much brighter.