The four teachers were selected from a pool of eight finalist that included Richmond High School’s Rich Seeber,
Harding Elementary School’s Anne-Marie Pine, De Anza High School’s Avilee Goodwin, and Nystrom Elementary
School’s Erica Sheltry. All eight finalists were nominated by colleagues and were interviewed and observed by a panel of
District and Ed Fund staff members.
WEST CONTRA COSTA PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND’S 2019 TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
Fernanda Gonzalez Hausske, Nystrom Elementary, Kindergarten
Ms. Gonzalez-Hausske is in her 2nd year in the District and has been
teaching for three years total. She loves data and her student’s intrinsic
motivation to learn. When asked about her teaching beliefs and why she
does it, she responded on her nomination application with the following:
“Children in my class look at their own tracking sheet and say, ‘Teacher,
ask me this one. I know this one,’ which builds both their sense of pride,
but also their metacognitive skills. They have come to understand and
internalize what it means to know something. And that is a beautiful
thing,” said Ms. Gonzalez-Hausske.
Dan O’Shea, Pinole Valley High School, Health Sciences
Mr. O’Shea is in his 33rd year with the District and started his career
before the internet came to be. Mr. O’Shea said that he has become
familiar with new technology over the years and adapted his teaching to fit
the times and his students.
“I try to provide a classroom environment that is clean safe and where
learning is a priority. I engage students and make them responsible for
their own learning experience by providing as many challenging activities
and lesson plans,” said Mr. O’Shea.
Madison Schmalz, Richmond High School, English Language Arts
Ms. Schmalz, her 6th year with the District, 9th year teaching overall. She
has taught so many unil Richmond; including a JDC, a special day class,
and as an Autism Behavior Analyst. Her background has provided her
with a special insight about learning which she applies daily. Ms Schmalz
said, “I believe that creating lessons that have content directly related to
what students are experiencing and seeing in their daily lives is the best
way to help them learn academic skills including analysis, critical thinking,
and reading. More, importantly, it helps them understand what is going
on in the world around them and allows them to see how they can engage
in a positive, constructive manner.”
Doug Silva, Helms Middle School, Physical Education
Mr. Silva is in his 3rd year in the District and ninth year teaching overall.
He is a big proponent of creating a safe environment for students that
translates beyond his class to the schoolwide culture. Mr. Silva loves to tie
physical education to other subjects and plans cross curricular activities.
His goal is to create positive experiences and help students feel connected
to each other and their school community. Mr. Silva said, “When a
student leads part of the lesson, they gain personal pride. When students
work together to accomplish a goal, smiles happen.”
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