Our past Top Teacher winners share their goals for the year.
We have had some amazing Top Teacher award winners, and what makes them all stand out is how each and every one of them continues to strive for greatness every year. We caught up with several past Top Teachers and asked them what their goals are for 2024.
Elizabeth Zoellner
2022 Top Teacher
Zoellner has spent her entire 27-year teaching career at Commonwealth Elementary School in Fullerton. She is known for spiking excitement with her students every school day. During the pandemic, she even went above and beyond by setting up a space in her home for hybrid learning. She is also on her school’s leadership team.
“My 28th year of teaching at Commonwealth Elementary School in Fullerton is off to an exciting start. This past summer, I received a master of arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I changed grade levels and am now teaching kindergarten. My goals are to meet my students’ social and emotional needs and foster a love of learning as my students learn the grade-level standards that will prepare them for future success. I enjoy working to incorporate everything I have learned about social and emotional learning, curriculum mapping, and diversity, equity and inclusion. I am also working to include student-centered, hands-on learning experiences for my eager learners. It has been engaging to begin using art journals as a way to document student learning. I look forward to seeing my students grow as learners.”
Phillip Chow
2021 Top Teacher
Chow has kept himself busy teaching and creating new, innovative programs for biology and AP biology in grades nine through 12 at Beckman High School in Irvine. Known for his upbeat attitude, he always goes above and beyond in his classroom as he encourages his students to ask questions, be comfortable expressing themselves, and starts every lecture with an inspiring life lesson, which turns into thought-provoking discussions.
“My New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to enjoy teaching/serving my students daily and to continue to help all students become great people of character. Since day one of my career, I have been inspired by the quote, ‘Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education,’ written by Martin Luther King, Jr. I truly believe that as educators, in addition to teaching academic content, we have such a unique platform to teach students important life skills that will last beyond the classroom. In addition, for the past few years, each winter break, I volunteer my time to create/teach a free, online enrichment course in the form of asynchronous videos in which around 200 students annually sign up to voluntarily complete. Most recently, I launched a free Professional Etiquette in the Workplace Course, a Personal Character Course, Personal Finance Course, Skilled Trades Course and an Educational Insurance Course for students to learn important life skills that will last beyond the classroom. I realize that it truly takes a village to educate students and my job as an educator is to help bridge the gap between our school and our community.”
Kasia Givenrod
2020 Top Teacher
Activating your body is just as important as using your brain, and no one believes this more than Givenrod, who teaches Adapted Physical Education and Unified PE for preschoolers all the way up to 12th grade at Brea Olinda Unified School District. Givenrod really shines when she gives students with gross motor skill delays specialized services that cater to their specific needs. She has created many programs like Unified PE and Unified Sports to allow students of all walks of life the ability to engage with physical activity.
“In 2024, I have many things I would like to accomplish, but the main one would be to continue to find creative and fun ways to get my students to move their bodies so that they will continue to want to be active when they aren’t with me. So much of what I focus on with my students isn’t just gross motor development, sports and fitness skills, but really helping them find ways that they enjoy being active so that they will be healthy and fit in their everyday lives. I am so lucky that I get to work with the majority of my students from preschool until they graduate high school, so keeping their life-long health and fitness is something I always have in mind. It might sound cliche to have a health and fitness goal for 2024, but it’s never a seasonal trend with me — it’s a career goal and passion that I always strive for with my students.”
Jackie Leimkuhler
2019 Top Teacher
Leimkuhler is a seventh- and eighth-grade Language Arts teacher at Heritage Oak in Yorba Linda who is known for making reading fun by creating meaningful connections that speak to the students while they are thumbing through books. Some examples of her creative teaching style are having kids engage in activity centers, escape rooms and collaborative projects that inspire thought-provoking discussions about the material being taught.
“As a teacher, what I want to accomplish in my classroom this year is a spirit of independent thinking. Over the years, due to technology, social media and the use of AI, I have found that students struggle to be independent, critical thinkers. I want them to struggle with their ideas and push through any barriers (such as boredom, ease of Googling, etc.) that stand in the way of thought. I really want my students to rely on their brains. I tell them that they are capable, and just like training for a sport, they need to train their brains. We practice critical thinking, inference and working through the wrong answers. That’s my ultimate goal for my students.”
David Beshk
2017 Top Teacher
Beshk is teaching science to grades two through five and is a thought-leader in STEM programs. He has taken on topics like rocketry, the physics behind rollercoasters, as well as animal prosthetics at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano. He has gone above and beyond by creating the Home Water Consumption Project, which is a month-long STEM activity where students track their personal water consumption by calculating the gallons they consume per minute.
“As an educator, I’m excited for the opportunities in the 2024 school year. My goals are to continue to work to integrate new educational technologies and cutting-edge practices into my science lessons and projects. I believe elementary science should be taught through a constructivist lens where students develop a deep, internal understanding of concepts and an appreciation for the natural world through hands-on, exploratory projects. Seeing faces light up with smiles as students apply what they have learned to STEAM projects inspires me to grow as a learner and an educator. I look forward to my own studies, so that I can continue to innovate and inspire my students to be curious, take responsible risks, learn from failing and, ultimately, learn by doing in the Lower School science classroom. My 2024 goals encompass the old motto, ‘hands on, minds on.’”
Joan Cowan
2016 Top Teacher
Cowan has had an impressive 36-year-long career and is currently teaching first grade at Dr. Albert Schweitzer Leadership Academy, which is part of the Magnolia School District in Anaheim. Cowan has not only made an impact on her students, but has also been on numerous committees such as the Leadership Committee, Social Committee, Curriculum Adoption Committees and the Positive Behavior Committee, to name a few. She is known to be extremely energetic, caring and funny every single day of the school year, and is currently gearing up for her much-deserved retirement.
“In my final school year before retirement, I approach the classroom with a profound sense of purpose, aiming to make this year a culmination of a remarkable 36-year journey that has defined my career in teaching. My goals are rooted in celebration, positivity and the enduring impact of education. One of my goals is to celebrate these friendships and the shared experiences that have defined our time together. I want to express gratitude for these relationships and encourage continuing teachers to value the collaborative spirit that makes the profession so fulfilling. As I approach the end of my career, I intend to carry with me the most cherished memories and lessons learned. My hope is not only to relish the well-deserved break but to leverage my experiences to continue contributing to the community and society in meaningful ways. I also want to impart a sense of pride and purpose to the teachers who will continue this rewarding journey and remind them that despite its challenges, teaching is a fulfilling and noble calling.”
By Jessie Dax-Setkus
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