Grade 3, Multiple Subjects

Martin Elementary School, Santa Ana
Santa Ana Unified School District, Orange County

Laura Gómez describes herself as a "passionate third grade teacher who has dedicated 25 years to helping students of all language designations and abilities achieve their goals." Her classroom exemplifies this creative passion, from students donning construction vests and hats as they measure student-sized polygons and determine area and perimeter of classroom floors in their role of "engineers," to designing, building, and testing a battery-operated wiggle-bot. Ms. Gomez has created her classroom culture to be one of trust, high expectations, rigorous activities, individualized learning, and fun, engaging experiences that she believes foster higher student achievement.

As an English learner, Laura said that it was ready for her to feel invisible. She remembers feeling "seen" for the first time in her French teacher's class in tenth grade. This nurturing teacher gave her the confidence to begin her journey as an educator, as she puts it, "with a box of donated books and a tremendous desire to help." As an immigrant and first-generation college graduate in her family, she knows the value of education, and fostering parent-school relationships. Among other things, Laura has hosted parent nights for the English learners at her school in math, family literacy, and science, and has trained her students to lead the games and projects.

Keeping her students and their families interacting during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation is a priority for Laura. During distance learning she re-imagined student engagement in the classroom. She discovered that many lack a quiet, consistent learning space and have only intermittent access to Wi-Fi hotspots. So, Ms. Gomez remains flexible, makes phone calls home, and writes postcards to keep students engaged. As Laura puts it, "We may lack resources for comprehensive wraparound services, but we can help our students beat the odds by addressing their family's needs.

It is imperative to Laura that teacher, especially in vulnerable communities, provide a compassionate, culturally inclusive, and rigorous program in which "all students are valued and seen as assets in our classrooms." She believes that forming genuine bonds with students creates a learning culture where they give their very best because they know she cares.