Mendiola honored as May Employee of the Month

It is with pleasure that we honor Manuel Mendiola, Teacher with Court Schools, as the May 2019 Employee of the Month.

Manuel has done an incredible job taking his teaching to the next level at the Violet Heintz Education Academy. He works diligently to share his lesson plans with other teachers, as well as creating collaborative lessons between classrooms. Manuel has taken the Character Based Learning curriculum and related it to the students’ lives. His lessons are culturally relevant as he moves through reading and writing exercises, reflecting on student experiences that relate to the material. Last year, his class completed more books than ever before and he is on track to repeat that accomplishment this year.

Manuel has also agreed to mentor a new Court Schools teacher. He is able to draw upon his more than 20 years of experience to guide his colleague through the process of a beginning teacher of at-risk students. He helps the teacher with lesson planning and classroom management skills.

As part of VHEA, Manuel is positive in staff meetings, showing compassion and caring when speaking about his students from a trauma-informed perspective. His goal is to help students develop life skills that will serve them long after they leave school.

“This job with our kids is a calling,” said Manuel. “I see the promise in them. I hope by the time they leave they see it in themselves, too.”