In May, our very own kindergarten teacher, Valerie Loredo, was named the South Valley Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year 2021-2022. This tremendous achievement was a culmination of many years of hard work and dedication towards her craft. We reached out directly to Mrs. Loredo to congratulate her and gather more insight behind this momentous occasion:
Q1: What does winning the Teacher of the Year Award mean to you?
A1: It is truly an honor to be recognized as the Teacher of the Year! It was something I definitely wasn’t expecting. I always strived to be the best teacher I can be for my students and improve myself over the years. I feel grateful to be recognized for my efforts.
Q2: Do you have anyone you would like to thank that brought you to this point?
A2: There are so many people I could thank for helping me reach this point in my career! Education is such a collaborative profession, and I have learned so much from all the people I have worked with! Thank you to all of my teacher friends who I have had the great honor of working with, and to my family for helping me pursue my career and furthering my education.
Q3: Now that you are an award-winning teacher, what are the next steps in your life, do you have anything excited planned for the future?
A3: I have really enjoyed going back to school to further my education. Sometime in the future, I plan to go back to school for an endorsement or another degree of some kind.
Q4: Last question, flashback to the past when you were in elementary school. Did you expect yourself to get to this point in your career? Were you even considering being a teacher?
A4: Looking back at elementary school, I always paid very close attention to details in my classrooms. I remember what the classrooms looked like, what the desks were like, how the room was organized, and where everything was kept. I would watch how my teachers acted and what supplies they would use. I remember collecting different school supplies, things my teachers gave to me, and just really admiring all the different educators in my life. I guess I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.
Thank you, Mrs. Loredo for your time, and congratulations once again!