Vintage High School
Napa, CA
Manny is a special education teacher at Vintage High in Napa Ca. with a focus on math. He has been a teacher for over 20 years working with students who needed special attention and care. Manny likes to say kids do not care how much I know until they know how much I care and I love that expression as it sums up Manny’s passion for his job. He recently had a challenge due to hybrid learning with a student who was unengaged. He tried to find math subjects that the student could relate to and find ways to incorporate his students experiences into the curriculum. So he used the recent NCAA March Madness tournament to relate math to this hard to reach student. He watched a little bit of the game with the student on zoom and was able to relate the stats score and time remaining to math and lessons that were taught earlier in the year-it worked! Kids know they have the freedom and safety to be themselves in his classroom. If they give an incorrect answer Manny looks at why it is incorrect and uses it as a stepping stone to find a more appropriate correct answer. Manny tries to embody a growth mindset of being a lifelong learner and a growth mindset is contagious when you are surrounded by people constantly practicing it. Indeed!!!