Trumbull Public Schools

Nominations for 2009 Teacher of the Year

Teacher of the Year - Mildred Velazquez

Ms. Velazquez was a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Hunter College, both for her BA degree in Sociology and her Masters in Education. She began her public school teaching career in New York City where she had the opportunity to serve as a panel member for the district’s standards committee on literacy and science with then vice president Al Gore.

She also was an experienced preschool teacher at the innovative learning center, Roosevelt Hospital, NY, as well as a pre-k teacher at the Cornell Medical Center Nursery school, also in New York. As early as eight years old, our representative knew she wanted to be a teacher – she gave English lessons to her predominantly Spanish-speaking friends while playing in the courtyards.

Ms. Velazquez credits her family and her relationship with her special needs family member as a driving force in becoming a vociferous learner and helped shaped her into the individual she is today. She views teaching as the taking of an oath with her children to help guide them to become risk takers, better citizens, and take responsibility for their own learning.

Her grade 1 colleagues who nominated their associate wrote “she has been a positive, construction force within the grade level and school”. She is described as being the perfect model for establishing parent/teacher rapport. She is a teacher who believes she is rejuvenated each day as she draws from her enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate colleagues. She is an amazing and inspiring teacher who all have learned from.  She has a deep commitment and unending perseverance to bring out the innate talents in children, both academically and socially.

And finally, she believes the most rewarding experience of all, and the best part of teaching, is the world of the classroom, where she can capitalize on children’s desire to learn and ultimately contribute to society.

We congratulate our 2008 Trumbull Teacher of the year, grade 1 Middlebrook Teacher, Mildred Velazquez