Tiffany Glassman Wilsona School District Teacher of the Year

Challenger Middle School – English teacher Tiffany Glassman was surprised by a visit from WSD Superintendent Dr. Bervel who brought flowers and the news that Tiffany was selected as the 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year to add to her being Challenger Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Bervel wrote, “Congratulations to Wilsona School District's 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year, Tiffany Glassman, at Challenger Middle School! Tiffany is a former Challenger student herself, who came back to CMS after college to teach and make a difference in the community where she grew up. She is known for being a caring and supportive teacher, who implements classroom strategies to keep her students engaged.”

Tiffany attended school at Vista San Gabriel, Challenger Middle School and Littlerock High School. She went on to Fresno State where she earned her 4-year degree and her teaching credential. She was seeking a teaching position in Fresno when due to a family emergency she returned to Lake Los Angeles. She applied at Wilsona and a day or two later, she was hired for 6th grade history and English.

“I thought I would be a pediatrician until I realized how much a hated science! In high school I did ROTC where I realized being in a leadership position, talking to people and helping them with academics, I realized I wanted to teach. It felt natural. It felt right to me.”

During the Pandemic, Tiffany taught 5th grade but after the distant learning period ended she was able to return to 7th grade English.

Tiffany has been teaching for 6 years, all those years here at Challenger. She said, “I connected with the kids here. Afterall, I lived in the same area. I experienced the same things. I know what it is like to know there is something else out there in this world. But I also know what it is like to come back home and stay here. It’s where I want to be. Something called to me, guided me back here.”

Tiffany is co-coordinator for the Student Success Team (SST), trains/coaches cross-country and track and after-school tutoring. SST works with students who are struggling academically or behaviorally where she meets with parents, consults with other teachers, parents and students to make certain life is made better for students. SST focuses on their success. “We sometimes have the student sit in front of the class next to the teacher as an intervention action that helps. We figure out how we can best support the child.”

”I am 100% honored. I did not see this coming. My students were not surprised. It felt good to be recognized by both my students and my colleagues. I could not have won this award without the help of all the amazing teachers here at Challenger. I have many mentors here. I hope to pass this on to future CMS teachers. Anything to keep CMS great because I have so much love for this school.”

Knowing she wanted to be a teacher since childhood, Danielle accomplished her goals and her dreams by working her way through each step of preparation.

 Danielle attended school at Vista San Gabriel (VSG), then went on the Challenger Middle School (CMS) and Littlerock High School (LHS). She went right to Antelope Valley College and completed her education at Cal State University Bakersfield on the AVC campus.

 Danielle was playground supervisor/noon duty at VSG. She was a teacher’s assistant while attending college. Her entire educational career was right here at home where she is teaching second grade today at Vista San Gabriel Elementary School. Second grade has been referred to as that golden time of childhood in part due to the stage of learning to read to reading to learn which requires a skillful teacher who takes their classroom of little humans on that journey seamlessly.

 Danielle has taught at VSG for 16 years. During the layoff of 2009, she was a substitute teacher for the Wilsona School District. Danielle has taught at both Vista San Gabriel (grades K, 1, and 2) and Challenger Middle School (grades 6 and 7), the after-school program and summer school, is the second grade level lead and an active union negotiator for the Wilsona Teachers Association (WTA).

 Danielle spoke ardently of a student who had no reading abilities when he entered her classroom. She worked with him and was especially happy to report he is now an avid, accomplished and competent reader. “That is what I what I want to do. I want my students to learn. My goal is to help kids to be the best version of themselves. I am not teaching kids. I am teaching future adults. I want my students to be proud of themselves both academically and as a citizen of the world.”

 When asked how she would respond to a student who thinks they might want to become a teacher in today’s occupational difficult climate, she said, “Let’s do it! Let’s figure out how we can make that happen.”

 Of the shirts the teachers wear, Danielle spoke of what is written on the back. “Teachers who love teaching, teach children who love learning.” ~ Robert John Meehan.

 “This is what we want for our students, parents and administration to see. This is how we want to come across to everyone.”

By Shirley Harriman