By Regan Estes
Staff Writer
After being nominated by Mira Costa teachers, Diana Sieker won Mira Costa’s 2011 Teacher of the Year on April 18.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Sieker said. “I was totally caught off guard and completely surprised. I thought something was wrong at first, but when I realized I won, I was so honored.”
Sieker was nominated by her fellow teachers and was selected unanimously as Teacher of the Year 2011. The selection comittee had a group of administrators and department heads.
“Ms. Sieker is very inspirational to her students, and they feel comfortable coming back after class to talk to her. Her students also say that they have learned a lot from her class,” English Department Chair Deborah Hofreiter said.
A group of representatives and teachers on April 25 from the Manhattan Beach Unified School District visited Sieker’s class to compare her to other teachers of the year in the school district.
“I’m really enthusiastic about my job,” Sieker said. “I have a passion for English and writing, and strive to make an environment where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. I really like to give students outlets to be themselves and express themselves freely.”
In May, the MBUSD board will recognize all teachers of the year from all of its district schools and select a district-wide Teacher of the Year. The chosen teacher will be first compared to teachers within the county, then state and the nation.
“Ms. Sieker has a broad range of teaching abilities and conducts very engaging classes that students love,” Principal Ben Dale said. “I think she’s going to go very far in the competition. She’s going to beat Obama.”
Sieker has taught at Costa for six years and teaches AP English, 3-4 basic English, and senior seminars on 1980s (Reagan-Era) literature. Before joining the Mira Costa faculty, Sieker graduated from the University of California at Irvine and taught at a Beverly Hills private school before joining the district.
“I am amazed and inspired by Ms. Sieker’s upbeat attitude which is contagious in her classroom,” senior Brian Davis said. “Mira Costa students are really lucky to have her.”
Sieker worked as a reader for the English department before becoming a teacher. According to Hofreiter, she was one of the best at editing and performed her job very well.
“Like teachers who were nominated before, she allows her students to learn a lot without being afraid,” Hofreiter said. “She is a great English teacher who knows how to write well, as seen from her excellence as a reader, and knows how to teach.”
Leave a Reply