When a Passion and Person Unite

When local educator Silvia Rogers came from Brazil years ago, she probably didn't think that she would receive a title as distinguished as Teacher of the Year, but today, that honor is a reality. Rogers, a Spanish teacher at Valley View High School (VVHS) in Moreno Valley, recently received this recognition from the California League of High Schools (CLHS). CLHS is one branch of the California League of Schools (CLS) which is dedicated to helping educators improve student learning. Rogers was chosen as one of the finalists for the CLHS Teacher of the Year for the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. "I think my passion for teaching and helping others without expecting much in return, contributed to my recognition." Rogers said. "I find fulfillment in the faces of my students when they realize they are capable and they want to be somebody in life." Since beginning her teaching career in 1979, Rogers said she has had hundreds of students, if not thousands of students sit in her classrooms eager to learn and shares that she has been able to stay in touch with some former students. For these students, there is no question why Rogers was recognized. Jeannette Leanos and Dhanu Desai are both alumni of Ms. Rogers' and thank her for her dedication as a teacher. “From personal experience, her teaching style leaves you with a greater appreciation for the world, its cultures and people. Learning is not simply through the pages of a drab text. Every student becomes a part of her as she becomes a part of us,” shares Desai. Leanos, who is currently taking a Spanish literature course in college, sent an e-mail to Rogers thanking her for teaching her more about literature than she had ever imagined, "I'm taking Spanish literature here at UCSD and I’ve got to say that as an AP Spanish Language teacher, you taught me so much about literature, and I never even realized it until now. This past week we had to read Un día de estos and we have so many other short stories by Márquez to cover, but because of your class I was able to understand." Rogers' superiors and colleagues echo the support of her students. “I am so proud of Mrs. Rogers for receiving this honor. She is very deserving and a fantastic teacher,” shared Kristen Hunter, principal at VVHS. “She is friendly, helpful, positive, and full of energy... The students at VVHS really value Mrs. Rogers and some of them even cried when they found out she was selected as the VVHS Teacher of the Year,” added Hunter. Rogers, who lived in Brazil for 24 years before relocating to the United States, received a law degree from the Universidade Federal do Ceará and taught English for three years prior to her move. She received both her teaching credential and Master of Arts degree in Education from Chapman University which is now known as Brandman University. She taught Portuguese at the American Graduate School of Management in Glendale Arizona for three years before she began working for the Moreno Valley Unified School District in 1991 as a substitute teacher. It was six years later that she would start teaching Spanish full-time at VVHS. Before being chosen as the recipient of the CLHS Teacher of the Year award, Rogers was nominated as teacher of the month. “Later on teachers and staff chose me again as the Teacher of the Year at Valley View High School. The MVUSD then chose me to represent the district at the CLHS Awards dinner,” shared a humble Rogers. “Being recognized by the CLHS as an Educator of the Year was a great honor. I could not share [the news] with someone, without crying or being extremely emotional,” said Rogers. “A teacher’s passion for teaching and willingness to help others must easily show; it must be sincere and contagious; the teacher’s enthusiasm upon delivering the lesson must be transparent. When that happens, students believe you; they trust you and they ultimately learn from you as you instinctively and selflessly show that you care." Rogers says that although her other passions include traveling, gardening, and listening to Brazilian music, it seems that she is always teaching, and this has influenced her own children. "My son is studying to be a chiropractor, and my daughter Sabrina Wilcox will be getting her teaching credential and Masters in Education this summer," Rogers shared.