Teachers

KBAY Teacher of the Month

Nominate teacher for KBAY’s Teacher of the Month

Click here to see who was named KBAY’s Teacher of the Month in prior months

The KBAY Teacher of the Month is Liz Escobar-Ausman, who teaches 1st grade at Vinci Park Elementary School in the Berryessa School District. Liz has taught for three years and is a graduate of Humboldt State University and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.  Liz will receive a Teacher Innovation Grant for her classes from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.

When asked what she liked most about being a teacher, Liz replied, “Kids have an amazing capacity to call things like they see them. It is always a joy to attempt to figure out what will engage, excite, empower, and challenge them. I love working with young students because their interpretation of the world is so imbued with awe and excitement. I also love when a student gives me an idea and I get the opportunity to praise their creativity and ingenuity. It is a very empowering thing for a first grader to see their idea used by their teacher to teach the whole class. I love preparing my students to be teachers to others and encourage students to embrace the responsibility this role offers. All students are capable of much more than society gives them credit for. I have the best job of all—supporting their brilliance and watching them grow.”

Liz will use her SVEF grant to purchase materials and equipment for a content literacy project for her students. Liz says, “I created a project that would support content literacy in science and increase reading fluency and oral vocabulary among students. I will be able to achieve these by using CD players, books, audio books, images, and environmental soundtracks (i.e. Soundscapes) in Language Arts and Science centers. The idea is to develop students listening, critical thinking, and reading and writing skills.”

 “My school is very unique. First, it is the largest elementary school in my district, currently serving 720 children. We also have the highest number of English Language Learners, who make up approximately 70% of our students. We also serve a very demographically and socio-economically diverse population. Despite our size though, our school is a very tight-knit community. Most of our students are known by all the teachers, and the collaboration between support staff and teachers is amazing. The parents and volunteers at our school are unfortunately few in number, but they make up for it in dedication and perseverance. It truly is a community. The kids in my classes are curious, kind-hearted, and display a true love and enjoyment in learning. As a teacher, you couldn’t ask for more to support your ability to be an effective teacher.”

Liz says that the biggest challenge in teaching is, “the limitation of resources—both material and human. When I think of the quality of education I present and how it could be enriched with extra games, technology, materials, supplies and PEOPLE to help implement good ideas and teaching practices, it makes me sad to see public schools so under-funded and invisible in the communities they are serving.