[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Nov. 4 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office.]

Eight public school educators will be recognized Nov. 4 at A Salute to Teachers, an event hosted by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office at the Music Academy in Montecito.

Gregory Wolf — a Santa Ynez Valley Union High School social science teacher in the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District — is the 2024 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. On Oct. 16, he was named the 2024 California Teacher of the Year, the highest state recognition a teacher can earn.

Elesa Carlson, the drama director and an art teacher at Righetti High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, will be recognized as the 2024 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.

The 2024 distinguished mentors to be recognized are Victoria Aguirre of Hollister School in the Goleta Union School District, Natalie Durbin of Liberty School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, and Tiffany Gonzales of Peabody Charter School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

The 2024 distinguished new educators to be honored are Ryan Helsel of Goleta Valley Junior High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Sammi Lambert of San Marcos High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Julio Molina of Delta High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.

The 10th annual presentation will be livestreamed at 5 p.m. Nov. 4 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orwewJn9SQE.

In addition to Cox, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Fielding Graduate University, Melfred Borzall, Rusty’s Pizza, Santa Barbara Bowl and the Santa Barbara City College Foundation.

Noozhawk Q&A

Noozhawk: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Ryan Helsel: It might be strange hearing this from a science teacher, but when I was younger, I wasn’t a big fan of science.

At first it felt confusing and arcane to me, until I finally began to appreciate how it could explain the natural world.

When I went to college, I never imagined that I would end up in research labs and doing actual science.

Eventually, the importance of making sure others understood the benefits of science began to hit me.

I began doing science outreach, which brought me to volunteering in K-12 schools near my university. There, I witnessed so many kids, wanting to learn, but stuck navigating great systems of inequity.

Watching the teachers trying their best made something in my brain click and made me decide to go into teaching.

Ultimately, I believe that teaching is about creating change and believing in our students. The world can change for the better through science, but only if our students understand that they themselves can be catalysts for change.

When we think of science, many people think of the one brilliant mind creating change, but it’s really groups of people working together. Every single one of our students can take part in that change, either through being scientifically literate, working within science, or making personal decisions like voting.

This seems more relevant than ever when talking about the environment. Sometimes when we learn about climate change, it’s difficult to remain optimistic about the scenario.

However, you never know how science could drastically change the trajectory of the world for the better.

That said, this won’t be possible if our students decide early on that they don’t like science, or if they never learn its importance.

By becoming a teacher, I pledged myself to developing this appreciation and optimism within students from a young age that will continue to grow throughout their lifetime. 

Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?

RH: I am in my second year teaching at Goleta Valley Junior High School.

Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?

RH: My favorite lesson sequence comes at the end of the year when we have a unit that evaluates SpaceX’s mission to colonize Mars. We talk about the ethics of this and how humans have impacted the environment on Earth (and what they would potentially do to Mars).

Then, the second half of the unit focuses on if traveling to Mars is physically possible, and students construct bottle rockets that are designed to tip over and release an egg that parachutes safely back down to Earth.

The second to last day of school, we go outside with an air compressor and launch them to see if their rocket is designed well and if their egg survives.

I feel like these two types of activities (talking about the environment and construction projects) are where you see students’ interests and creativity the most.

Plus, the excitement of everyone waiting to see if their egg splatters or not is a great final memory for the year.

Noozhawk: What is your favorite part of being a teacher?

RH: One of the best parts about being a teacher is being able to pique students’ interests and see that they’re eventually spending their own time researching some topic that we talked about in class (like a species of beetle that has a fake termite body so it can trick termites into letting it into its lair, or that the moon is a broken off piece of Earth, etc.).

Seeing that spark develop in students reminds me of why I started to like science in the first place.

The other great part about being a teacher is being able to develop relationships with students and seeing that you made a lasting impact on them.

For example, last year I had students construct classroom signs in wood shop for me and make memes about my class for me to hang up. And even this year, my previous students still regularly email me about how high school is going and asking for advice.

My hope is that through these relationships, students develop a positive view of school and science.

Noozhawk: What are the challenges of your job?

RH: I am constantly trying to improve my curriculum and my teaching strategies. When I see someone else in the district who does some amazing, innovative thing, I always try to think about how I could incorporate that into my teaching.

However, it is difficult to know how to balance that desire to constantly improve with the need to feel fulfilled in the other aspects of my life that aren’t teaching.

As teachers, we always try to think about our students and the many facets of their life that impact them. My goal is to give myself the same amount of grace and to take care of myself.

Noozhawk: What are you most looking forward to this school year?

RH: Last year was the first year that any school in the Santa Barbara Unified School District did Science Olympiad. My co-coach (Jenae Slater) and I had to develop everything for the program, while also juggling being first-year teachers, which made everything new and exciting, but also challenging.

However, it was all worth it when we went to our regional competition and had so many of our students excel there.

This year, we have an even larger team, are planning on competing in even more events, and have more time to prepare for the competition. So I’m really excited to see just how well our students at GV are going to do!

Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?

RH: My mentor is Bradford Penkala. Brad is a truly dedicated mentor, and has gone above and beyond to support me.

My first year was a much smoother transition into teaching than I thought it would be, as Brad and I would develop our curriculum collaboratively and I could always turn to him for advice, as both a professional and a person.

I truly think that Brad’s dedication to supporting me in developing my teaching skills has made me an infinitely better teacher.

Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?

RH: At Goleta Valley, my principal, Clanci Chiu, and our multitiered systems of support specialist, Jan Ferrer, have always been there to give advice whenever a new situation arose.

As a new teacher, interacting with your principal can seem a bit intimidating, but Clanci has done more for me than I ever thought possible and I greatly appreciate her.

Furthermore, Jan’s expertise in how to support students is something that I’ve always admired, and I try to get any and all advice from her because of this. She is the best possible room-neighbor you could ask for.

In my personal life, my partner, Eleanor, who is also a teacher in the district, has been my No. 1 supporter from my first student-teaching placement to my first job interview (and now to preparing for this interview). She has been the sounding board for all of my thoughts and my best ideas are ones that have become even better because of her feedback.

Finally, as they have done throughout my entire life, my parents and sister have always been there to remind me that I am loved and to take care of myself (and to tell me to call them more).

Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of the Salute to Teachers?

RH: It is very validating to be honored as a Distinguished New Educator.

In your first year of teaching, at times it feels like you have an insurmountable amount of responsibility, to both your students and yourself. So, receiving an award like this makes it visible that your contributions to students’ educations are seen and valued.

In addition, when I started teaching I used to read the profiles of the people who won this award, and I looked up to them for what great things they brought to their schools. So now, I am honored to join the people I had looked up to!