I don’t really have a formal nomination procedure in place and I believe most of our nominations have been initiated by another teacher or a parent. However, the teachers who have worked with the nominated teacher usually ask students to contribute their reflections about this teacher and I believe the student comments have always reflected favorably on the nominated teacher. I have considered nominating a teacher myself this year as we don’t have any currently nominated but thought we needed to maybe take a break for this round.” Kurt Siebold

“The Denver Teachers’ Award (DTA) helps build enthusiasm and motivation for the challenges that our teachers face daily. Our district is filled with excellent teachers who welcome these challenges and who strive constantly to engage students and to meet their constantly-changing needs.

The DTA also promotes powerful team dynamics and gives faculties a chance to bond with fellow teachers while they build a scrapbook full of achievements, contributions to education, and family appreciation.

Each year I encourage my staff and parents/ community members to pick one outstanding teacher who has consistently gone above and beyond his/her teaching profession to help nurture and educate our multi-cultural student body. We choose a teacher who believes that teaching is a “total involvement” profession, a teacher who volunteers for extra work or demanding assignments because he or she believes that being a teacher is the most important profession there is. “ Khoa Nguyen

“As a former teacher who received the award many years ago, it validated and honored the work I did. As you know, we did not go into the profession for the money or recognition. But the little special acknowledgement of the hard work we do, day in and day out, boosted my desire to learn more and to go deeper within my practice of teaching.

When a teacher goes over and beyond her duties of delivering instruction by following planning guides, motivates all students through creative and positive methods, and is a respected and valuable member of the community-teachers should be recognized for those efforts. “
Cari Riedlin

“The Denver Teachers' Awards truly is highlight to the every day dedication of teachers to children and the community. I don't remember the year, but I asked my daughter’s teacher if I could observe a full day. She had fancy two way mirrors and she was excited for me to watch my daughter. What she didn't know was that I was secretly writing my first nomination to DTA, I was so moved and humbled by her work, her talents. Many parents felt the same, I was just the one with the words and the time to help with the nomination.

Now, my grand daughter is 4 and she is in the same classroom with this teacher. I am even more humbled by her. She has given her talents to many generations of children, though she never looks for glory or fame with her genuine commitment for children, she did get the recognition the one year winning. Each time we talk, we remember that award, it has meant a lot to both her and me. I feel like I won the award for helping with the nomination because it is a little gesture to repay her for all she has done to make our lives, children and adult alike lives alike -- ready for the future, but never letting go of the beauty of a teacher's heart that truly loves what she does. She still sits the children around the table for lunch and talks to them as we all should about their worlds. I don't know even now, if she realizes how much she has made our worlds so much better because she took on the humble profession as a teacher...”
Cora Gonzales