Each year a district-wide committee nominates one teacher and one paraprofessional as the teacher/paraprofessional of the year; this year’s 2022-2023 winners being Mrs. Farrow (John Trumbull), and Ms. Gurrera (Watertown High). The winners are Ms. Farrow, and Ms. Gurrera. The award includes four main highlights: personal skills, commitment, professional growth development, and personal attributes. 

This year, the teacher of the year award goes to Ms. Guerrera, mathematics teacher at WHS. Ms. Guerrera exceeds expectations as a teacher, going above and beyond to be involved with her students and within the WHS community. She is assistant coach for the Watertown cheerleading team, National Mathematics Honor Society advisor, and class of 2024 co-advisor. Ms. Guerrera teaches with a more “hands on” approach, coming up with creative ways to enrich her student’s learning in the classroom. She says that she can do more of what she thought was right, because clearly it worked. Many teachers struggle with feeling seen and appreciated, which she related to prior to the award. “When I received the award, it felt like all of my hard work finally paid off,” says Ms. Guerrera. She wants her coworkers to know that going back to your “why” is extremely important, which she dedicated a video talking about in her teacher of the year speech. Ms. Guerrera’s “why” is knowing she is making a difference in her student’s lives. Not just in math, but also in life. Knowing that she can help kids grow in their knowledge drives her passion for teaching. Her plans for the future are to expand into other areas, not just math.  “This award is something I’m super proud of. I know that I’m doing something right,” she quotes.

The paraprofessional of the year award was given to Ms. Farrow, a paraprofessional at John Trumbull. Ms. Farrow says that throughout the interview process, being nominated, she was nervous. “I know I’m good at what I do, but it’s hard for me to talk highly of myself.” What made Ms. Farrow stand out was the fact that many could tell how much she loved her job, and how much she loved the kids she helped. She says she feels a responsibility to keep children happy and safe at school, which is telling of how much she truly cares. “I love my job and the people I work with… having worked here for 23 years and getting acknowledged with such an honor is truly humbling! Thank you is simply not enough!” Ms. Farrow is extremely grateful for the people that have given her this opportunity. Receiving this award, her advice to others is to: “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” She gives this advice to not only her co-workers, but her kids as well. Ms. Farrow shows what it means to be a great paraprofessional, and this award represents her passion and work ethic.