By Gassia Ashikian
News Editor
Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale announced Broadcast Journalism teacher Michael Hernandez as Costa’s 2014-15 Teacher of the Year via e-mail and English teacher John Heideman as the Green and Gold award recipient on Wednesday.
The teacher of the year process began when teachers submitted their nominations. Dale and a committee of vice principals then selected the teacher they believed was most deserving of the award.
“Hernandez is an innovative, creative and visionary educator,” Dale said.
Hernandez has been a cinematic arts and broadcast journalism teacher at Costa since 1999. He is also a member of the Journalism Education Association and is a Google Certified Teacher due to his passion for learning and teaching.
“It is really exciting and such an honor to be receiving this award,” Hernandez said. “It was totally unexpected, and it’s so amazing to be acknowledged by the school.”
The Green and Gold Committee is comprised of a group of Costa teachers who nominate one teacher every quarter based on exceptional teaching skills inside the classroom. Heideman received his recognition at Wednesday’s department meeting.
“Heideman is a compelling and inspiring teacher to students and teachers,” Dale said.
Heideman has been teaching various classes such as the English seminars Death and Dying, Humor and Theater Technology at Costa for the past 39 years.
“I’m very honored to be receiving this award,” Heideman said. “It is very touching that faculty members voted to make this happen. It was especially nice that my family made it to experience it all with me.”
This will be Heideman’s last year teaching at Costa because of his decsion to retire.
“It has been a wonderful journey here at Costa,” Heideman said. “Both faculty and students have been supportive; it feels like a family here.”
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