Sabrina Rideau is the dean of students and the curriculum director at Holy Family Academy. She often tutors students at the school and last year she taught a second-grade class.

“My heart is always in the classroom,” says Rideau, who has been teaching since 2010. She taught preK at... Read more

Selika Gebhart is a second-grade teacher at Combs Traditional Academy. After years teaching first grade, she started her tenth year of teaching in a new grade.

“I was nervous, because I’ve done first grade for so long,” says Gebhart. But she has students who were in her classroom... Read more

Kendra Dulin is a third-grade teacher at Madison Heights Elementary. She teaches in English in the school’s 50/50 Spanish Immersion program and, according to her students, she makes learning fun!

Dulin says her students might be surprised to learn that she did not like math when... Read more

Kaycie Belangeri teaches sixth grade math at Mountain View School. She has been teaching for nine years.

Belangeri is originally from Riverside, California. She taught in California before her family relocated to Arizona for her husband’s job. “I certainly won’t ever go back. I... Read more

Congratulations to the Valley teachers recognized during the 2022–23 school year. Thank you to all the students, parents and others who nominated an outstanding teacher. Your teacher could be recognized during the upcoming school year! Read more

Robin Austin teaches second grade at Oakwood Elementary. She just finished her 19th year of teaching—all but one of those years in the classroom has been at Oakwood.

Austin was born in Tucson and grew up in Phoenix. She started her career in another field—purchasing and logistics—but went... Read more

Amber Jenstad teaches fourth grade at Cortina Elementary. This is her seventh year of teaching at Cortina, but she was gone for a short while as she explored a different career.

Jenstad grew up in Arizona. She says she knew at a young age that she wanted to teach. Because of her passion... Read more

Estefania Garcia teaches third grade at Madison Heights Elementary. This is her fifth year teaching and her first year at Madison Heights.

Garcia went into teaching because she knew that she could make an impact on kids and the community through her work in the classroom. Garcia was born... Read more

Michelle Hampton teaches a second/third grade class at Queen Creek Elementary. This is Hampton’s 18th year in teaching.

While reading and writing were her favorite subjects when she was in school, Hampton says she enjoys math these days.

“I think my favorite subject to teach now is... Read more

Stacey Traylor teaches third grade at Navarrete Elementary. This longtime teacher has taught second through sixth grade, and has been at Navarette for the past 12 years.

She says she enjoys the third-grade curriculum, especially one of the “big third-grade skills,” learning to multiply.... Read more