Mt. Diablo High School (MDHS) teachers Katalina Gallo and Natasha Paul have been selected as the two District Teachers of the Year for 2022-23. They will both represent the district as nominees for the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year competition, which will announce its winners in September.
The pair were selected from five finalists that also included College Park High School teacher Laima Haider, Pine Hollow Middle School teacher Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan and Bancroft Elementary School teacher Maria Sajjad. The finalists were selected from the more than 100 outstanding educators nominated throughout the district. The MDUSD School Board plans to recognize the District Teachers of the Year, finalists and nominees at its April 13 meeting.
Interestingly, both Gallo and Paul had both graduated from Mt. Diablo High (Gallo in 2007 and Paul in 1991). In fact, Gallo was Paul’s student in the Digital Safari Academy that she now leads teaching multimedia to students in grades 10-12. Paul is now teaching 9th grade English in the school’s Architecture, Construction, Manufacturing and Engineering (ACME) Academy, as well as English Language Development to students not yet fluent in English.
Gallo leads the WASC accreditation focus group on culture at MDHS looking at things like equity, community and parent involvement so students feel supported. She also plans “Academy Night,” the school’s open house, which was held on March 24.
Her approach to teaching is that she treats students as equals. “I’m not the center of the classroom,” she said. “
Mt. Diablo High School (MDHS) teachers Katalina Gallo and Natasha Paul have been selected as the two District Teachers of the Year for 2022-23. They will both represent the district as nominees for the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year competition, which will announce its winners in September.
The pair were selected from five finalists that also included College Park High School teacher Laima Haider, Pine Hollow Middle School teacher Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan and Bancroft Elementary School teacher Maria Sajjad. The finalists were selected from the more than 100 outstanding educators nominated throughout the district. The MDUSD School Board plans to recognize the District Teachers of the Year, finalists and nominees at its April 13 meeting.
Interestingly, both Gallo and Paul had both graduated from Mt. Diablo High (Gallo in 2007 and Paul in 1991). In fact, Gallo was Paul’s student in the Digital Safari Academy that she now leads teaching multimedia to students in grades 10-12. Paul is now teaching 9th grade English in the school’s Architecture, Construction, Manufacturing and Engineering (ACME) Academy, as well as English Language Development to students not yet fluent in English.
Gallo leads the WASC accreditation focus group on culture at MDHS looking at things like equity, community and parent involvement so students feel supported. She also plans “Academy Night,” the school’s open house, which was held on March 24.
Her approach to teaching is that she treats students as equals. “I’m not the center of the classroom,” she said. “We all are and it’s our interaction, which is what makes the instruction and the learning happen.”
Having discussions with her students about their ideas and issues that are important to them is a key part of her role, she added. “Student voice is really important to me. I want students to feel that I listen to them and that what they say matters.” Building trust with her students is also important, she said. They know they can trust me. I want them to feel that they can talk to me about the things going on outside of the class because it does affect them…”
Gallo said the primary reason she hoped to be selected as Teacher of the Year was for her students. “I wanted to show them I went to the school, look at what I can accomplish, and you can do anything you want to do.”
Paul started teaching at MDHS 14 years ago. Like Gallo, she views building relationships with students as a key part of her job. Current and former students love to hang out in her classroom before school, at lunch and after school because of the warm and friendly atmosphere and the snacks she provides when they’re hungry.
Student Asael Escalante said he knows Paul is concerned about students’ mental health as well as their academics. “She really does care about her students very deeply, like a second family,” he said. Student Nathaniel Leyva added: “She helps everybody and makes it fun.”
Gallo and Paul are two of approximately 20 other educators who will be named Teachers of the Year for their school districts. Each of them becomes a nominee for the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year program, which is coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Four finalists will be announced in May. The winners of the County Teacher of the Year program will be announced Sept. 22 in a ceremony at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, where all District Teachers of the Year will be honored.
We all are and it’s our interaction, which is what makes the instruction and the learning happen.”
Having discussions with her students about their ideas and issues that are important to them is a key part of her role, she added. “Student voice is really important to me. I want students to feel that I listen to them and that what they say matters.” Building trust with her students is also important, she said. They know they can trust me. I want them to feel that they can talk to me about the things going on outside of the class because it does affect them…”
Gallo said the primary reason she hoped to be selected as Teacher of the Year was for her students. “I wanted to show them I went to the school, look at what I can accomplish, and you can do anything you want to do.”