National Education Week: Spotlighting Tampa Bay area teachers
TAMPA, Fla. - It's National Education Week, and FOX 13 is spotlighting some of the amazing teachers in the Tampa Bay area.
Here's the educators being recognized this week:
DEANNE AMARO
Kindergarten teacher Deanne Amaro has been teaching at Essrig Elementary School in Tampa for more than 25 years.
She said what she loves about being a teacher is that she can provide students with a positive educational experience that will ground them through good and bad years.
Her hope is that each child that enters her classroom knows that she truly cares.
JARED SCHWARTZ
Sickles High School AP Chemistry teacher Jared Schwartz has seen the number of students grow for his program from 16 to 88.
He said he thinks the students take his class knowing that they are going to be challenged but also that they will have a truly memorable time.
He created "The Amazing Chemistry Race" to help them demonstrate their skills.
He said he stays motivated by thinking of new ways to make his class more enjoyable and to become a better teacher.
ADIEL SILVA
Adiel Silva teaches social studies at Franklin Middle School in Tampa.
He said what he loves about being a teacher is the opportunity to positively impact his students and guide them in their journey to becoming informed citizens and critical thinkers.
Each year they work on September 11th remembrance projects. He said this not only educates the next generation about a significant historical event but also fosters understanding and empathy.
JASON SMITH
Jason Smith teaches history and is also a baseball coach at Riverview High School.
He’s a former athlete who had a genuine interest in mentoring kids and caught the teaching bug later in life.
He looks for ways for his baseball team to give back. They organized supplies for Hurricane Ian relief.
He views his role as a unique opportunity to be an influence. He said he wants to show his students that they can accomplish anything in spite of their circumstances.
MICAELA ABLA
Micaela Alba teaches veterinary assisting at Tampa Bay Tech High School.
She said the students not only get hands-on training but also lessons about the significance of each animal’s habitat.
She said she loves that she’s teaching her passion and that she’s able to bring that passion to the next generation.