Top of the Class: 4 A+ Teachers
Amid the excitement of back-to-school month, we’re taking a moment to cheer the champions of classrooms: teachers. Here are some of the most hard-working, dedicated, and creative among them.
6th Grade English Teacher at Glen Edwards Middle School, Lincoln
Armed with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University, Solley moved to the Western Placer Unified School District in 2003 and has worn many hats since—from elementary and middle school teacher to assistant principal and principal. She currently serves on the Leadership Team, Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports Committee, as the English Department Curriculum Lead, Confidence Club Advisor, and as the newest girls’ golf coach at Lincoln High School. She’s also been an Area 3 Writing Project teacher consultant since 2007 and devised the two-sided writer’s notebook, which has helped countless teachers and students. What’s more, Solley was selected as the 2021 Placer County Teacher of the Year, Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Western Placer Unified K-8 Teacher of the Year.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far? Balance. As educators, we tend to try and be all things to all people, which is unrealistic and unhealthy. I remind myself I can only do the best I can with the time and resources I have and accept that it is good enough.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far? When I first started teaching students with emotional disturbances, I quickly learned valuable lessons. I learned how to sit still, listen, and allow for silence and emotional release no matter how hard it was.
Quote: “You never fail until you stop trying.” It reminds me of my dad’s endless support.
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Teacher at Theodore Judah Elementary School, Folsom
What are your hopes for your students? I want each of them to leave my classroom knowing they are worthy and loved just as they are; that being kind is always more important than being right; and that the brain and bravery are muscles—the more you use them, the stronger they become!
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far? From my students, I’ve learned that family is more than just who we’re related to. I love my students deeply and unconditionally. I’ve also learned that children learn best when they know they’re loved and valued. From my coworkers, I’ve learned that we are best when we work together.
Way to unwind: Walking with my family on the Folsom bike trails near my home and eating dinner at Folsom Tap House or Mexquite!
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far? That everyone has a story and if you take the time to listen, you’ll find many amazing people. Over the years, I’ve learned as much from my students as they have from me.
Daniela Solley
6th Grade English Teacher at Glen Edwards Middle School, Lincoln
Abusiness major in college, Daniela Solley struggled to find macroeconomics and taxation interesting. That’s when a friend suggested she change her major to education. “I instantly loved my new classes and when placed in a classroom for field work, I knew I was in the right place,” she says.
Daniela Solley
Describe yourself and your teaching style. I’m focused, organized, and flexible with a heart of empathy and patience. My teaching style is student-centered. As soon as students enter the door they are warmly welcomed, seen, heard, and respected.
What are your hopes for your students? I hope they see their strengths, develop confidence in their abilities, and are willing to take chances to learn from mistakes/failures. Along with self-advocacy, I hope students leave with a few golden nuggets to carry with them in the years to come.
Daniela Solley
Favorites
Teaching tool/resource: Teachers from the Area 3 Writing Project. Also, my Google Calendar and to-do list!
Quote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit.”—Will Durant
but a habit.”—Will Durant
Part of your day: Greeting students at the door; hearing students share their writing; and dinner with my husband.
Way to unwind: Lots of golf, listening to vinyl while cooking dinner, pedaling on the stationary bike, and reading/writing.
Rachel Stewart
Special Education Teacher, Transition Program at Woodcreek High School, Roseville
When Rachel Stewart got a full-ride scholarship for basketball to UC Berkeley, her goal was to become a child psychologist. So, what changed? In her final semester, she became a teacher’s assistant for an adaptive PE teacher and got to work with a student with spina bifida. “I loved seeing his infectious smile as he let his body float carefree in the pool. He was my first experience working with students with disabilities and I loved every minute,” she shares.
Rachel Stewart
After graduating, Stewart moved back to Roseville and became a substitute teacher for students with disabilities. “I saw the light in their eyes as they attempted to make connections and thought, ‘How lucky am I to be in their lives?’ That thought…motivates me daily. I am beyond blessed,” she says.
Eventually, Stewart became a basketball coach and special education teacher. She currently teaches transition-age special education students and helps coordinate Unified Sports. As of this past year, she’s also assistant athletic director at Woodcreek High School.
Describe yourself and your teaching style. I teach independence and self-growth at the highest level through love, care, and support. Our classroom is safe, welcoming, loving, fun, and engaging.
What are your hopes for your students? My students’ motto is “Our potential is LIMITLESS,” and it is this motto that drives my vision for teaching and maintaining high expectations academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.
Rachel Stewart
Favorites
Teaching tool/resource: My students love posting videos for educational questions on Flipgrid.
Quote: “You never fail until you stop trying.” It reminds me of my dad’s endless support.
Part of your day: Seeing my students’ smiling faces followed by coming home to my wife.
Way to unwind: Driving down back roads with the windows down and the music up.
Valerie Owens
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Teacher at Theodore Judah Elementary School, Folsom
As a child, Valerie Owens spent hours in her room lining up dolls and “teaching” them how to read and spell. It’s no wonder then that she got her master’s degree in teaching with a specialization in early childhood education.
Valerie Owens
Owens is now the team leader of Theodore Judah's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports team; GLEE Choir Director at Theodore Judah Elementary School; on the FCUSD Equity Task Force & Teaching Inclusion Diversity and Equity committee; and a Folsom's Hope Board Member.
“What inspires me most are the conversations we have as a class throughout the year where you see students learning life lessons—like honesty, empathy, and kindness—and putting them into action in class, at lunch, or on the playground,” she says.
Describe yourself and your teaching style. My teaching style is largely filtered through the lens of: "How would I want my own child to experience this lesson?"—whether it be academic or otherwise. I’m a huge believer in Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences—the belief that each human has their own unique learning strengths and styles, and that as a teacher, it is my goal to build a relationship with each student and learn how they each learn best.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far? From my students, I’ve learned that family is more than just who we’re related to. I love my students deeply and unconditionally. I’ve also learned that children learn best when they know they’re loved and valued. From my coworkers, I’ve learned that we are best when we work together.
Valerie Owens
Favorites
Teaching tool/resource: Using rhythm and music, especially by Jack Hartmann.
Quote: "Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes."—Maggie Kuhn
Part of your day: When my own kids come in my room to wake me up...I know it's fleeting, so I treasure it.
Larry Bryant
Science Teacher, Science Department Head, & Peer Advocate Advisor at Golden Sierra Junior Senior High School, Garden Valley
Larry Bryant first dabbled in marketing and distribution for a pet food company after getting his degree in biology from UC Santa Cruz. Upon hiring young college students, Bryant opened his office after hours to enable them to finish their schoolwork on office computers. “I liked helping them and realized I enjoyed teaching and missed science, so I went back to school and got my teaching credential,” he says.
Larry Bryant
Ever since, Bryant’s focus has been on the youth. He’s even taken classes in youth development, neurology, trauma informed teaching, and adverse childhood experiences—all of which he employs as advisor at the Peer Advocate Program where student advocates help other students resolve problems, manage conflict, and deal with stress and emotions.
Bryant has also led students on trips to Mongolia, Russia, and Costa Rica, and has worked for almost 20 years with Watershed Education Summit where local high school students do hands-on science and water quality studies for the El Dorado National Forest.
Describe yourself and your teaching style. I’m a nerdy science guy. I especially love astronomy and biology. As for my teaching style, I'm interested in what my students like to do and have to say. I try to connect science to their lives and interests.
What are your hopes for your students? That they become happy and healthy adults—physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally.
Larry Bryant
Favorites
Teaching tool/resource: I love sharing my wildlife, astronomy, and geology photos for science lessons. It creates a personal connection to concepts beyond the classroom.
Quote: “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”—Malala Yousafzai
Part of your day: Starting it with my peer advocates. Their energy and spirit keep me going all day.
Way to unwind: Strategic board games and card games that challenge me to think critically and plan carefully. I also enjoy photography, especially of wildlife and unique geology/landscapes.
by Tara Mendanha
Photos courtesy of each teacher.