ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- May

Annamarie Valdez

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Stephanie McNabb and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for May. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their May winner, Mrs. Annamarie Valdez. 

Mrs. Valdez teaches Principles of Human Services, Robotics, Audio Visual Production, Computer Science, and Principles of Intro Tech. at Cooper High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Valdez is always involved. She allows us to practice UIL in her room during lunch so that we can have a little more practice. Mrs. Valdez uses WICOR strategies in her class by giving us an opportunity to take focused notes over different media careers (W: Writing), she has us work in groups to film, and work in groups to make our own restaurant (W: Writing). She uses presentations to help us with our work. Mrs. Valdez goes the extra mile by always putting her students first when they walk into her room! 

Thank you Mrs. Valdez for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- May

Sam Falls 

The ALC teamed up with JH STUCO, directed by Mr. Derrick Robinson , and selected the Junior High winner for May Teacher of the Month, Mr. Sam Falls. Mr. Falls teaches 6th and 7th grade Science classes at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Falls is always very kind and caring to all students, he always gives us more chances than we deserve in class. He uses WICOR strategies by having students work together on many projects in his class. (C: Collaboration) Mr. Falls also uses AVID strategies like giving us the opportunity to take focused notes in his class. He is a very educated teacher, and he lets us ask many questions in class. He also asks us questions to make sure we are on topic and understand what is going on in the class.   

Thank you Mr. Falls for your hard work and dedication!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- April

Emily Barton

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Stephanie McNabb and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for April. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their April winner, Mrs. Emily Barton. 

Mrs. Barton teaches Biology and Anatomy and Physiology at Cooper High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Barton is always involved. She prepares videos for her classes to watch of her teaching the lesson, she is always well prepared, she has a positive attitude, she is very reassuring, and she doesn’t let outside issues impact her teaching. Mrs. Barton uses WICOR strategies in his class by giving group projects, lab activities, and station work (C: Collaboration), and has us take a variety of focused notes (W: Writing). She uses AVID strategies by doing 3-2-1 Reflections, using the APES writing format, and has us increase retention of the material in our notes by getting them back out and marking them up/using them. Mrs. Barton goes the extra mile by coming early, communicating quickly, using her own money for lab activities, and being very organized and good at planning things.” 

Thank you Mrs. Barton for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- April

Derrick Robinson

The ALC teamed up with JH STUCO, directed by Mr. Derrick Robinson, and selected the Junior High winner for April Teacher of the Month, Mr. Derrick Robinson. Mr. Robinson teaches 6th Grade ELAR and the 6th Grade AVID Elective class at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Robinson does a lot of hands-on activities and is very patient with us. He uses WICOR strategies by helping students take lots of Focused Notes (W: Writing), using the APES format for writing a short answer (W: Writing), and teaches us how to write really well. Mr. Robinson also uses AVID strategies like Collaborative Study Groups, Philosophical Chairs (debate), the Focused Note-Taking Process (used for retention of information), and helps us use text evidence. He is a very educated teacher, and he does bell ringers and games to keep us focused. He is a dedicated teacher.”    

Thank you Mr. Robinson for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- March

Caci Newton

The ALC teamed up with JH STUCO, directed by Mr. Derrick Robinson, and selected the Junior High winner for March Teacher of the Month, Mrs. Caci Newton. She teaches 7th Grade Math at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Newton makes sure that her students have the copies of notes when they are not at school. She uses WICOR strategies by helping students take lots of Focused Notes (W: Writing), and we do group work everyday in Mrs. Newton's class (C: Collaboration). Mrs. Newton also stays after school everyday to grade and print papers for her classes! She asks a lot of questions to make sure we are understanding the material correctly, and can remember it.” Her class has been featured by administration to AVID visitors to showcase her outstanding lessons! Mrs. Newton is passionate about helping her students learn the material!   

Thank you Mrs. Newton for your hard work and dedication!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- March

Lee Valdez

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Stephanie McNabb and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for March. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their March winner, Mr. Lee Valdez. 

Coach Valdez teaches World Geography, Economics, and coaches at Cooper High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Coach Valdez always makes conversation, very happy and optimistic. He greets others in the hall while also remaining very professional. He uses WICOR strategies in his class by giving the student opportunities to work together for group projects (C: Collaboration), and has us take focused notes (W: Writing). He incorporates technology into his lessons, and asks questions throughout to make sure we are listening! We do a lot of “Collaborative Study Groups” for different aspects of each country, among other AVID strategies.” Coach Valdez is dedicated to the material and wants everyone to learn!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- February 

Kelly Inman

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Stephanie McNabb and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for February. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their February winner, Mr. Kelly Inman. 

Coach Inman teaches World History, US History, and coaches at Cooper High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Coach Inman shows kindness towards his students and shows that he cares by being optimistic, peppy, and passionate about teaching. He creates “Motivational Monday” topics for us to talk about/discuss that helps us become better students and teaches us how to be successful outside of school. He uses WICOR strategies in his class by using the APES format of writing to help us construct paragraphs and short answers (W: Writing), and has us take focused notes (W: Writing). He also does warm ups before his lessons so that we have a refresher before the lesson. We have also done the game “Four Corners” where students can choose a position on a topic and discuss with peers why they chose that stance, among other AVID strategies.” 

Thank you Coach Inman for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- February

John Silman

The ALC also selected the Junior High winner for February Teacher of the Month, Mr. John Silman. Mr. Silman has won this award at least once every year since the ALC started the teacher of the month awards. He teaches 8th Grade Science and Ag Science classes at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Silman shows he cares by really taking time to check on people and make sure they are doing okay. He uses WICOR strategies by helping students take lots of Focused Notes (W: Writing), helping them stay organized and doing great binder checks (O: Organization), using graphic organizers to help students organize information (O: Organization), and has great memory strategies and lab projects (C: Collaboration).  

Thank you Mr. Silman for your hard work and dedication!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- January 

JD Stutler

The ALC has selected their January winner, Mr. JD Stutler. 

Dr. Stutler teaches numerous classes including World History DC, Spanish, Humanities, and British Literature at Cooper High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Dr. Stutler shows that he cares about his students by being open and approachable with no judgment. He creates a comfortable atmosphere in his classroom. He uses WICOR strategies in his classroom as well, including Bare Books where students write/journal about their learning (W: Writing), assigning books for students to read (R: Reading), hosting class discussions (C: Collaboration), and teaches us to write sticky note annotations in the margins (W, R). Dr. Stutler also uses AVID strategies such as jigsaws and marking the text. He goes the extra mile by staying late for those that need help or to make something up, and he answers back to emails quickly.” 

Thank you Dr. Stutler for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- January

Matt Golden

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for January Teacher of the Month, Mr. Matt Golden. Mr. Golden teaches Band classes at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Golden shows he cares by being very approachable and helpful. He uses WICOR strategies by applying Focused Notes strategies to music (W: Writing), answering questions and collaborating about new pieces (C: Collaboration), and helping us organize sections of music (O: Organization). He goes the extra mile by staying late, coming early, making jokes, and checking on us.” 

Thank you Mr. Golden for your hard work and dedication!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- December

Judy Falls

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Harmoni Whitaker and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for December. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their December winner, Mrs. Judy Falls. 

Mrs. Falls teaches Dual Credit US History and Government at Cooper High School, and assists with One Act Play. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Falls shows that she cares about her students by helping tutor students who are struggling, giving time to study, and being very supportive. She also gives crackers to students during class so they can focus and aren’t hungry. She uses WICOR strategies in her classroom as well, including giving a folder to contain all of her work (O: Organization), asking group questions (I: Inquiry), teaching us how to write an essay (W: Writing), allowing study groups (C: Collaboration), and making reading fun by taking field trips about the things we learn about. Mrs. Falls also uses AVID strategies such as collaborative games like Family Feud and Quizlets to study, and teaches us how to take notes from a lecture. She goes the extra mile by proving her dedication to student success through multiple avenues, showing her willingness to help students be successful, giving extra credit options, reaching out if you are failing, and calling and checking on you.” 

Thank you Mrs. Falls for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- January 

Rebecca Castorena

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Harmoni Whitaker and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for January. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their January winner, Mrs. Rebecca Castorena. 

Mrs. Castorena teaches English II and III at Cooper High School, and directs One Act Play. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Castorena shows that she cares about her students by checking on people when they are having a bad day, and offering to talk with students if they need it. She is very welcoming and open to answering questions. She uses WICOR strategies in her classroom as well, including having groups write questions to study (I: Inquiry), writing essays to improve writing skills (W: Writing), annotating stories and notes (W: Writing)(R: Reading), and allowing group work (C: Collaboration). Mrs. Castorena also uses AVID strategies such as the 6 steps of annotating a text, Philosophical Chairs discussions, and making her own Focused Notes. She goes the extra mile by bringing snacks and breakfast for us and staying late for OAP practice. She also always finds resources to help with the play and reads everyone’s essay before she grades it to make sure everything is correct.” 

Thank you Mrs. Castorena for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC’s HS Teacher of the Month- February 

Jenny Folmar

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC), led by President Harmoni Whitaker and directed by Mrs. Jacie Ballard, is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for February. Students in the ALC would like to recognize the efforts of their outstanding teachers, and have met and created a rubric with criteria that these teachers must meet to be nominated for Teacher of the Month. 

From this rubric, the ALC has selected their February winner, Mrs. Jenny Folmar. 

Mrs. Folmar teaches American Sign Language at Cooper High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Folmar shows that she cares about her students by giving snacks and explaining work one-on-one. She is lenient but also has boundaries she expects you to follow, and is very kind and has a good heart. She uses WICOR strategies in her classroom as well, including writing, creating study cards (W: Writing), asking questions about real life events and making sure everyone can relate (I: Inquiry), group and partner work (C: Collaboration), and gives important dates for you to put in your planner and time to organize your binder (O: Organization). Mrs. Folmar also uses AVID strategies such as collaboration projects and games, and brings in deaf guest speakers from the community. She goes the extra mile by bringing snacks, staying late and coming early, and understanding the importance of mental health.” 

Thank you Mrs. Folmar for your dedication and hard work for our students!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- December

Daniel Smith

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for December Teacher of the Month, Mr. Daniel Smith. Mr. Smith teaches 6th Grade Social Studies at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Smith shows he cares about us by joking around with us. He uses WICOR strategies by helping us take Focused Notes (W: Writing) and we use those notes to prepare for quizzes and tests. He also spends a lot of time on test reviews to prepare us for our tests (C: Collaboration). He goes the extra mile by allowing us to retest if we didn’t do well the first time.” 

Thank you Mr. Smith for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- January

John B. Silman

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for January Teacher of the Month, Mr. John B. Silman. Mr. Silman teaches 6th Grade and 8th Grade Science at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Silman shows she cares by giving us change when we need it, and making sure we have everything we need to keep throughout the day. He uses WICOR strategies by helping us take Focused Notes (W: Writing) and giving us time to mark up our notes (O: Organization). He also has us keep a journal of our daily objectives to remember what we’ve learned (W: Writing, O: Organization). We also do cool projects in his class (C: Collaboration). He goes the extra mile by going out of his way to make sure we understand things.” 

Thank you Mr. Silman for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- February

Deanne Dial

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for February Teacher of the Month, Mrs. Deanne Dial. Mrs. Dial teaches 6th Grade Math at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Coach Dial shows she cares by allowing us to come in 9th period for some extra help. She uses WICOR strategies by helping us take Focused Notes (W: Writing) and giving us bell ringers to stay organized and remember what we’ve learned (O: Organization). She uses fun activities that help us learn better (C: Collaboration). She goes the extra mile by planning fun things for us to learn so that math is more fun and interesting.” 

Thank you Mrs. Dial for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- August

Preston Compton

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for August Teacher of the Month, Mr. Preston Compton. Mr. Compton teaches Life Skills and coaches at Cooper Junior/Senior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Compton shows he cares by helping the students with their work and helping them understand what they are doing. He uses WICOR strategies when he gives Focused Notes (W: Writing), and has students work in groups (C: Collaboration). He also does Philosophical Chairs activities with his class. When someone has trouble he helps them, and lets them make notecards to help them on tests.” 

Thank you Mr. Compton for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- September

Sam Falls

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for September Teacher of the Month, Mr. Sam Falls. Mr. Falls teaches 7th Grade Science and History at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Mr. Falls shows he cares by providing us with extra help and examples when we are confused. He uses WICOR strategies when he puts us into groups to collaborate on projects (C: Collaboration). We take focused notes in his class, and we refer back to them when we need them. He goes the extra mile by giving us extra time for make-up work.” 

Thank you Mr. Falls for your hard work and dedication!

ALC/STUCO’s JH Teacher of the Month- October

Kassidy Compton

The ALC and Junior High Student Council (led by Mr. Derrick Robinson) have teamed up to select the Junior High winner for October Teacher of the Month, Mrs. Kassidy Compton. Mrs. Compton teaches 7th Grade ELAR at Cooper Junior High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“Mrs. Compton shows she cares by allowing extra time to complete work. She uses WICOR strategies when she allows us to take Focused Notes when we are reading a novel (W: Writing) (R: Reading). She has taught us the whole process of focused note-taking, and we take notes over each chapter we read. She goes the extra mile by doing helpful reviews for assignments, and gives us opportunities to ask questions.” 

Thank you Mrs. Compton for your hard work and dedication!

September: Rebecca Castorena

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC) is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for September, Mrs. Rebecca Castorena. 

Mrs. Castorena teaches English II, English III, and One Act Play at Cooper High School. Here is what her students had to say about her:

“She is very supportive and understanding. She’s always willing to help and listen to new ideas and never hesitates to help someone out. She always makes sure she answers questions in a way that her students can understand. She teaches writing strategies such as annotating the text and finds ways to make class entertaining. Mrs. Castorena also is constantly finding ways to add AVID strategies such as Philosophical Chairs (a debate with textual evidence) and Socratic Seminars (a student-generated question driven discussion) into her lessons, which makes class more interesting. She teaches us how to break down a text properly using the correct annotating strategies. We appreciate the way she puts a lot of thought into our bell ringers. She’s very dedicated to One Act Play, and would always stay late and help out. Before COVID, she would make OAP breakfast in the mornings after we had long trips. She always made sure everyone was properly cared for.” 

Thank you Mrs. Castorena for your dedication and hard work for our students!

October: J.D. Stutler 

The AVID Leadership Council (ALC) is pleased to announce the Teacher of the Month for October, Dr. J.D. Stutler. 

Dr. Stutler teaches Spanish I and II DC, World History DC, English 1301/Humanities DC, and English 1302/British Literature DC at Cooper High School. Here is what his students had to say about him:

“Dr. Stutler always makes sure we understand. He goes out of his way to know we can completely understand the topic at hand. He teaches us reading strategies like marking the text, whether it be through finding sources or just reading something in class. We also use in class discussion tactics a lot. He has turned Socratic Seminars (a student-generated question driven discussion) into his own, and we use them to discuss books we read. Dr. Stutler shows so much dedication, and wants to know when we leave him that we have a future in college education. He stays late after school and always accepts questions about college or his class.” 

Thank you Dr. Stutler for your hard work and dedication to our students!