Teacher Appreciation Nominations Blog U – V
Through our Teacher Appreciation nominations, we were able to see exactly how our teachers are impacting our kids and community. We want to recognize each nomination that has come in. 1495 unique nominations and 525 teachers nominated, we are sharing the answers to our question posed: “Why does this teacher make you smile?”. The blogs are organized by last name of the teacher.
Teacher: Teresa Underwood, Swainston Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? My teacher makes me smile by being nice to me and by helping me out.
Teacher: Melanie Ust, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? As much as I don’t verbally praise my teacher, I think about their kindness towards me in my head since I have trouble communicating with anyone. This teacher takes their time with me and allows me to work at my own pace, even if that may be inconvenient for them. I loathe the fact that I procrastinate in that class, but I really do try to make an effort.
She is really helpful to her kids and puts her kids first before what staff want. She makes it a lot easier for students to learn and lets her students prioritize what needs to be done for other classes in her class if need be.
Teacher: Shannon Utter, Brinley Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? She was my orchestra teacher for three years and the teacher taught me how to play the cello and really made me love playing music.
Teacher: Gina Valenzuela, Durango High School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? She’s funny and whenever I’m in a bad mood she always makes me feel better and laugh. She’s also very good with advice and she’s always there to listen tome when I need her to.
Teacher: Brandi Vallesteros, Ed W Clark High School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? Math has never been my forte; I was initially intimidated and apprehensive going into Calculus as a junior, and my expectations for myself weren’t high. Ms. V made me believe I was capable of succeeding in her class, and her natural charm and humor continues to motivate me and my peers. Thank you, Ms. V!!!
Ms. Val is the sweetest teacher ever! She truly cares for each and every one of her students and never fails to remind them how much she values us. She constantly makes me laugh even on my worst days. Though I may complain about math, I truly enjoy going to her class every day and I couldn’t be more grateful for an amazing and loving teacher.
Ms. Vallesteros always is ready to help out whenever I need help. She makes an effort to stay after school to assist all her students and I really appreciate that. On top of all this she makes funny jokes throughout class which makes calculus more entertaining.
Ms. Vallesteros is an outstanding educator who holds her students to the highest standards while also focusing on their individuality. She was/is the genesis of our daughter’s success. Ms. Vallesteros has an excellent and smart sense of humor that touches every student she comes in contact with. Ms. Vallesteros is committed to the success of her students by offering unconditional after-hours support and tutoring. She is a highly devoted individual who is capable of interacting with overly strict fathers who in an attempt to hold their children to the highest standards can ruin educational dreams of their children by being overly strict and setting bars that may be unachievable by their child. She is wise beyond her years, dedicated, and has an excellent grasp of what it takes to build confident students. Ms. Vallesteros was an integral part of our daughter’s success while constantly reinforcing a positive attitude and optimistic outlook in life. I can only wish we had more educators who possess the life experiences and commitment constantly displayed by Ms. Vallesteros
Ms. Valesteros makes learning fun! I have always had a bad relationship with math but when I’m in her class I not only understand the material but also enjoy it. She always has time to help with my personal issues and really seems to care about each of her students.
Ms. Vallesteros manages to make each day in calculus special. The ability to make integrals and derivatives fun is nothing short of incredible and Ms. Vallesteros does so with ease. She’s been a great help in providing help or tutoring and so she manages to make me smile almost constantly.
Ms. Vallesteros truly cares about my daughter. She is extremely communicative and understanding. I couldn’t be more grateful for such an amazing teacher and person.
Ms. Vallesteros is a very funny teacher that is always positive and makes sure to greet you before you walk into her classroom. She’s very kind and a great teacher.
My daughter’s success is because of Ms. Vallesteros. She was and still is such a positive influence on my daughter. She dedicated numerous after work hours tutoring and providing optimistic outlooks on life which were integral in helping helping a struggling math student into one who loves math. She has a special personality and uplifted personality that contributes to the success of her students on a daily basis as well as after graduating from high school. She is able to effectively provide structure and discipline in a student with a smile on her face. I owe so much to Ms. Vallesteros because of my daughter’s success.
She encourages me to do better in class every day. She makes me smile even on my bad days. Even though math can suck, she makes it better!
She has so much energy every day in class and she has such a passion for calculus. There is not a day that goes by where she isn’t making calculus jokes. Also, she really motivates us to strive for our best. It shows that teaching means a lot to her and she really cares about us succeeding. I love saying hi to here very morning and it makes me happy to see her.
She is really funny and explains math to us in accordance to our understanding. She meets us at our level and helps us in any way that she can.
She makes math very lighthearted, exciting, and fun to learn.
She is very chill and makes math fun!
She never fails to make class interesting and fun and it’s so obvious how much she cares for all of her students. Even though it’s a difficult class she always puts a smile on my face.
They are a very passionate teacher and I love their mathy jokes!
This teacher is a great listener and is always there for whatever reasons. She is very helpful with assignments and always is a positive energy in the room.
This teacher is very funny and always tends to us one on one, as well as always trying to incorporate modern day teenage culture in her lessons.
This teacher makes me smile because of her corny jokes. She’s always down to help her students but don’t be fooled, she’s quick to make witty remarks to anyone and everyone.
This teacher makes me smile because she has jokes for days. And when she says new slang like “slayy” it’s very funny.
Whenever I think about why this teacher makes me smile, several reasons come to mind. Firstly, they have an infectious positive attitude and are always willing to help out whenever I need it. Their enthusiasm for the subject matter is also contagious, and it makes me excited to learn more.
Moreover, this teacher is incredibly approachable and understanding. They are patient and kind, which makes me feel comfortable asking questions and seeking help whenever I need it. I also appreciate how they challenge me to do my best while still being supportive and encouraging.
Overall, this teacher’s warmth, humor, and dedication to teaching make me smile and feel grateful for having them as my teacher.
She works so hard everyday to fit our needs. Whether its a bad day or good, she always keeps a smile on my face and continues to try to push us to do our best!
She makes every day in calculus enjoyable and that’s no easy feat with math being so unbelievably boring. She makes the whole class laugh and learn and it is a gift to be in her class.
AP Calculus is a very hard subject to teach as well as learn but Ms. V makes it an easy task. She includes this like math jeopardy, calcuhunts, and projects that are fun but also help us for our test and our end of the year exam for AP. And getting a great grade and being able to earn a college credit to help me down the road always makes me smile.
Teacher: Amy Van Gundy, West Career and Technical Academy
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? Mrs.Van Gundy makes me smile because she has a very welcoming presence and I always feel safe in her class. She never fails to make me laugh and makes tough classes even better. She teaches Chemistry which has a reputation for being a tough subject, but she goes over things thoroughly and is really good at breaking down questions. Overall, she is just an amazing teacher who makes learning better and I respect her so much for what she does.
She always keeps class light-hearted while being willing to help us learn the subjects by realistically telling us what we need to do to improve.
Teacher: Erinn Varela, Jack Lund Schofeild Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? She was my Counselor from 6th-8th grade, she is the best Counselor anyone can ask for, when i had really bad cramps she gave me a donut and salami cheese and crackers with grapes and strawberries, when my mom died she was there for me and always make me feel welcomed, she always knew how to make me smile, and she’s just the best!!!
Teacher: Julio Vargus, Ed. W Clark High School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? He is funny and cool. He also tells a lot of strikes that are funny and he cares for his students. He also is a great cook.
Teacher: Joshua Vaughn, James Cashman Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? He is very funny, and he has a great style for teaching. He always makes his classes helpful and joyful.
Teacher: Miriam Vasquez, Keller Duane Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? This teacher makes me smile because of her great attitude and her amazing feeling towards her students i really like this teacher.
This teacher makes me smile because she is very patient and kind. She also loves her students and helps them with the things that they need.
This teacher makes me smile because she is very patient and kind. She also loves her students and helps them with the things that they need.
Why my teacher makes me smile is because ever since i had Mariachi i thought it was going to be boring but now that i know how to play trumpet im glad she became my mariachi teacher because without her i would have never played the trumpet.
Teacher: Melissa Vicario, Frias Elementary
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? Mrs. Vicario is truly one of the most amazing teachers there is. She took on my special needs 3 year old son and has helped guide him, teach him, and love him for the last 3 years. He’s off to kindergarten soon, but we will never forget the loving, kind, wonderful preschool teacher he had. We love you, Mrs. Vicario!!
To count the ways! Mrs. Vicario not only truly cares about her students, but even her students’ parents. She is so kind and patient. Every time I see her, she is smiling; and she has a beautiful, contagious smile that makes me feel so comfortable when dropping our daughter off to school. I give her all the credit in the world for working with our daughter and helping in her development!
She is funny.
Teacher: Timothy Vogi, Swainston Middle School
Why Does This Teacher Make You Smile? This was the best teacher i ever had. He was the best because he was wonderful at teaching and explaining math problems, he used to help me out and he also used to comfort me. He also has a past life that has made him feel down and he deserves the world i hope he wins this nomination.
Teachers play a significant role in our lives, and we are thankful for them and all they do for our community every single day. We understand how important their job is in student development and learning and know they work tirelessly to educate children and add value to their lives! Thank you, you are our heroes!
