Staab honored as teacher of the year

Nominated and chosen by fellow teachers, English teacher Amanda Staab was awarded the title teacher of the year at CVHS. Her performance as an educator is, without a doubt, a perfect example of a dedicated and loving teacher. 

“Amanda Staab has worked very hard to raise the profile of EL (English Learner) students on our campus, which benefits all of us tremendously,” commented English teacher Anne Parris. 

Staab goes beyond just teaching and takes the time to learn what interests her students. Her efforts not only play a great influence on their education but on their everyday lives. Staab grows a connection with her class, further creating a lasting impact on each individual. 

“I like how Ms. Staab was always carrying a happy mood. She kept her spirits up no matter what the class was. She always came to give energy, even when the class didn’t have any,” said junior Raymond Chin, her former student. 

For 17 years at CVHS, Staab also worked in an EL classroom. Today, teachers with English-learning students are coached and guided by workshops organized by Staab. The beginning stages of her students’ understanding is the reward for teaching language acquisition. 

“Language is very social. It’s for survival. Humans have a desire to communicate and connect with others. Language is how it is done,” Staab said. “When you teach them something, you can see the effects. They’re just generally eager to learn. I just love it.” 

Outside of school, Staab swims. Because the pandemic forced pools to close, there was one way to be in water again: open water swimming. Staab swims twice or four times a week. 

“Swimming is such a release to me, a reset. You can have the hardest week, but in the water, you can’t be thinking about too many other things. The water itself is supportive to me,” claimed Staab. 

This year, she aims for a four-hour swim in the Bay to beat her almost three-hour swim around Angel Island last year. 

“I feel so alive because it’s cold water swimming. It’s hard to get in and it’s even harder to swim in it. Then you get out, you just feel like you’ve been rebalanced. You come out, you warm back up, and everything is good in the universe,” said Staab.