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Janet Damon is the kind of instructor college students will bear in mind for the remainder of their lives, her father mentioned after she was named the 2025 Colorado Trainer of the 12 months.
“She’s a miracle baby,” mentioned a beaming Joseph Damon, 76, a former educator, including: “She takes care of children.”
Others who gathered for a shock meeting mentioned that it didn’t shock them that the Denver Public Faculties DELTA Excessive College historical past instructor acquired the statewide honor over six different finalists.
Many cited her selfless mission to assist her college students as the rationale she was chosen for the dignity.
DELTA junior Serenity Sena, 17, who stayed after the meeting to congratulate her instructor and get a photograph, mentioned Damon helped her by way of the hospitalization of her mother, who was recognized with liver failure. Sena mentioned Damon pushed her to remain in class and get by way of the hardest days.
Damon stayed after hours to assist her with not simply historical past homework, however English and math, Sena mentioned.
“This award is one thing we anticipated. It’s one thing she deserves. 100%,” Sena mentioned. “She’s only a guiding spirit.”
Annually, the Colorado Trainer of the 12 months program selects a Colorado instructor to honor for his or her service towards college students. Together with the title, Damon acquired $5,000 from the Boettcher Basis and $5,000 from the Colorado Division of Training. She can even have an opportunity to be chosen for the Nationwide Trainer of the 12 months award.
In the meantime, she is going to function a instructing ambassador for the whole state.
Colorado Commissioner of Training Susana Cordova mentioned Damon had an opportunity to speak about herself in the course of the meeting, however as an alternative thanked and honored everybody else round her.
“She’s the type of instructor that I believe actually sees her work as serving to others and offers so selflessly and acknowledges what individuals do for her,” Cordova mentioned. “I don’t know if she actually acknowledges how a lot she does for others. That is only a nice alternative to essentially name out the super contribution she’s making to our occupation.”
Damon has taught for greater than 25 years, and in her nomination, the Colorado Division of Training cited her deal with serving to college students think about options to issues within the state and their lives, resembling creating podcasts that advocate for points resembling homelessness, gun violence, incarceration, inflation, and immigration.
Damon mentioned her mom and father contributed essentially the most towards her ardour to teach others. Her father was educated in segregated Texas faculties, and her mom didn’t have entry to training, she mentioned, which impressed her to assist guarantee others get an important training.
She grew up in navy faculties earlier than going to Denver West Excessive College, she mentioned, and her father fought for her to get into superior lessons.
“So for me, each pupil deserves one thing that’s going to be exhausting, that they will be happy with,” she mentioned.
She mentioned she might help college students solely as a result of DELTA management helps her and trusts her. It’s the kind of atmosphere the place each instructor can develop and be their finest, she mentioned.
She hopes to make use of her new platform to deal with the nice issues occurring within the classroom, she mentioned. And she or he needs others to know that good management might help any instructor grow to be the Colorado Trainer of the 12 months.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter masking larger training and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado companions with Open Campus on larger training protection. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
