Santa Fe Public Schools in January named Julieta Salazar, English Language Arts and AVID Elective teacher at Santa Fe High School, its 2022 Teacher of the Year.
Salazar developed lesson plans and materials in the Canvas platform to help teachers transition into remote learning during the pandemic, sharing her inspiring teaching practices. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an academic program that supports student preparation for college through reinforcing learning skills and self-motivation.
“I love to teach because I love to bear witness to learning,” Salazar said.
As a substitute teacher throughout the El Paso Independent School District, she discovered how much she enjoyed watching the moments in which a student comes to a confident realization of the answer to a question or becomes assured in their abilities to solve problems or takes pride in something they created. She relives these moments over and over again as she watches student after student acquiring self-confidence.
In her relationships with colleagues, Salazar has contributed to a pedagogy that is accepting of the mistakes that are bound to be made within the process of creating, discovering and attempting to comprehend big ideas.
In following her own advice to her students, she continues to strive to make a difference in helping others understand the importance of a growth mindset.
