[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Nov. 2 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office. Click here for a complete series index.]
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Anthony Bruemmer did not embark on a career in education when he graduated from college, but after a decade in the business world, he finally heeded the call of the classroom. What’s more, he’s actually back at the school he attended as a youth and working alongside some of the same teachers who had such an impact on him back then.
Bruemmer, who is being honored as a 2020 Santa Barbara County distinguished new educator, teaches fourth grade at Santa Ynez School in the College School District.
When he applied to teach at the school, he included an old elementary school photo of himself to remind Superintendent Maurene Donnor that he had been a student in her second-grade class. Apparently, the ploy worked and he quickly proved he belonged.
Bruemmer is an enthusiastic, dedicated professional and serves on the school’s Multitiered Support System Leadership Team, is a school Behavior Team coach, and is a member of the district Academic Team, At-Risk Committee and the school’s LCAP Committee.
He also co-taught the Student Council program and coordinated the school’s first Talent Show. In his spare time, he launched the district’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and acquired ownership of the district’s GreatSchools.org account.
Passionate about his job, Bruemmer believes that teachers who love what they do influence happiness and success in their students.
Eight educators will be recognized Nov. 2 at A Salute to Teachers, an event hosted by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito.
Michele Frantz of Joe Nightingale School in the Orcutt Union School District has been named the 2020 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Bree Jansen, a dance, choreography and cheerleading teacher at Lompoc High in the Lompoc Unified School District, will be honored as the 2020 Santa Barbara County Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
Along with Bruemmer, distinguished new educators to be honored are Melanie Thatcher of Miguelito School in the Lompoc Unified School District and Michael Wallace of El Camino Junior High School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.
Distinguished mentors are Marith Parton of Carpinteria Middle School in the Carpinteria Unified School District, Marilyn Tilley of Battles School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District and Amy Willis of Los Olivos School in the Los Olivos School District.
In addition to Cox, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Anthem Blue Cross, Fielding Graduate University, Montecito Bank & Trust, the Santa Barbara Bowl and the SBCC Foundation.
Noozhawk Q&A
Noozhawk: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Anthony Bruemmer: Ever since I was old enough to think about “what I wanted to do when I grew up,” I always kind of wanted to teach. I think that’s because my mom has been a preschool teacher’s aide since I was 3 years old. I vividly remember her constantly laughing and telling stories about her work day around the dinner table when I was just 7 or 8 years old. She was always smiling when she talked about her job and that stuck with me.
Straight out of college, I chased money for nearly a decade working in marketing and sales; I had some great years financially and some not so great, but even in my best years I was never very happy with my job and certainly didn’t get any satisfaction from going to work.
I met my wife, Sandy, in 2012, and shortly thereafter decided to go back to school for my teaching credential. It was the best professional decision I’ve ever made.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
AB: I’ve been teaching for two years and three months.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
AB: My favorite subject to teach is math because I enjoy it and I feel that so many students do not like math simply because they don’t understand it; and they don’t understand it because they haven’t had the concepts presented to them in a way they are able to access and understand.
I love introducing concepts to students who have struggled with math in a way that makes sense to them, and then watching them discover that ah-ha moment.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
AB: My favorite part of being a teacher is being able to be silly all day long and get paid for it. I run a very structured fourth-grade classroom, and I wear slacks and a tie to school everyday, but my students will tell you I’m pretty silly.
I love working with kids. I find a 9 year old’s amazement of the simple things in life and their zest for every moment to be contagious. I also love being surrounded daily by adults who are like minded in having a growth mindset and a desire to work with kids in helping them become successful young adults.
Noozhawk: What are the challenges of your job?
AB: The greatest challenge has been the emotional weight of learning about some of my students’ life hardships. You spend every day with these kids, you get to know them on a very personal level, and you spend evenings and weekends thinking about your students’ home lives. It’s hard to turn that off, and it’s important — and also hard — to remember to focus on the positive and to try to come to school every day with a great attitude so you can lift those kids up.
Noozhawk: What are you most looking forward to this school year?
AB: I can’t wait for our annual school talent show. We had our first talent show in several years last year, and it was so awesome to see kids get up on stage and show off their hidden talents.
I’ve never been more proud of a student as I was when one of my fourth-graders last year was so nervous she was in tears before her act, but then she got up on stage in front of the whole school, and a bunch of parents, and danced her routine with a huge smile on her face.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
AB: Toni Roberts, our seventh-/eighth-grade English teacher, has been an incredible mentor to me over the past 2½ years. Toni was actually my English teacher when I was in seventh- and eighth-grade back in the late 1990s, and now learning from her about classroom management and how to balance the demands of teaching has been invaluable.
Also, Maurene Donner, my superintendent/principal (Maurene was my second-grade teacher), has been an excellent resource, both personally and professionally.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
AB: My school’s second- and third-grade teachers, Laura Olesen and Jennifer Elliott, have really taken me under their wings and helped me develop as a new educator by sharing strategies, stories and advice. Laura was my GATE teacher when I was in elementary school and Jennifer was my sixth-grade teacher. We have a unique and fun relationship that has benefited me immensely as a new teacher.
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of the Salute to Teachers?
AB: Surreal. I had to work very hard to get hired in Santa Barbara County, so to be named a Distinguished New Educator is the greatest professional accomplishment of my life. Everyone says there is a shortage for teachers; while that may be true nationwide, I would respectfully argue that is not the case on the central coast of California. I applied to 22 districts in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in the summer of 2017, and was given only four interviews. However, I am 100 percent confident that I got the best job at the best school site on the planet.
Noozhawk: Is there anything else you wish to share?
AB: My wife, Sandy, and I just had our first child on July 29. We named her Rosaly, and she is by far the most amazing part of our lives. I cannot describe in words how much I love and care for her, or how much she has made me adjust my patience for all my students. Being a dad is incredible. My wife and I are loving and enjoying every moment.