Shelley NaramoreElementary School Teacher of the Year Eastshore Elementary School’s Shelley Naramore is recognized as a highly innovative educator, skilled in designing rich experiences that appeal to a broad range of learning styles, and she is particularly adept at meeting the needs of divergent thinkers and students with learning challenges. Colleagues say her classroom is an engaging environment that utilizes writing, performing and technology to promote critical thinking. Meanwhile, Shelley’s passion for children extends beyond instruction, as she organizes an annual summer gathering designed to welcome new students and establish a sense of community. An IUSD educator since 1988, she has also led her classes in a number of service-learning projects, including last year’s successful effort to write and illustrate textbooks for children living in the Dominican Republic. |
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Lori FallaceMiddle School Teacher of the Year In a classroom that often includes worms, cow eyes and mold-filled Petri dishes, Venado Middle School’s Lori Fallace guides her seventh-graders through health and science lessons that are unique, organized and inspiring. In this setting, students are encouraged to approach their work as if they were real scientists, engaging in hands-on experiments designed to cultivate a love for learning as well as science. Lori, a veteran educator who has worked in Irvine since 1985, is a respected leader in her profession, and she played a critical role in developing IUSD’s secondary health curriculum. More recently, she secured grant funding for a health lesson at Venado that enables every seventh-grader to take home a computerized infant simulator, giving students a greater understanding of parenthood. |
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Mike GerakosHigh School Teacher of the Year An activities director, teacher, baseball coach and club advisor, Michael Gerakos is an icon who has made a profound impact on the culture of University High School. Colleagues say “Mr. G” can often be found on campus in the evenings and on weekends, doing whatever it takes to ensure the success of his students, both academically and personally. With his student-athletes, he promotes character in addition to skill, and he brings the same approach to his adaptive P.E. students, instilling determination and confidence. Hired by the district in 1994, Mr. G also serves as the advisor of Uni’s Best Buddies club, which partners up students with special needs with their general education peers for activities and events, including school dances and bowling. |
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