[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Nov. 6 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office.]
Ten educators will be recognized Nov. 6 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.
Alisyn Blanton of Miguelito School in the Lompoc Unified School District has been named the 2022 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Frank Koroshec of San Marcos High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District will be honored as the 2021 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Josie Coburn of Orcutt Academy High School in the Orcutt Union School District will be recognized as the 2022 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
Elizabeth Caruso of Monroe School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District will be honored as the 2021 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
The 2021-2022 distinguished mentors to be recognized are Lorena Armstrong of Mary Buren School in the Guadalupe Union School District, Riccardo Magni of Pioneer Valley High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, and Melissa Woods of Dos Pueblos High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
The 2021-2022 distinguished new educators to be honored are Samantha Ayala of La Honda STEAM Academy in the Lompoc Unified School District, T.J. Berry of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, and Christina Peña Eckert of Carpinteria Middle School in the Carpinteria Unified School District.
The eighth annual presentation will be livestreamed at 5 p.m. Nov. 6 at s.sbceo.org/salutestream.
In addition to Cox, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Fielding Graduate University, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara City College and Southwest Airlines.
Noozhawk Q&A
Noozhawk: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Elizabeth Caruso: As a child I was incredibly shy. Although I excelled academically, my quietness made me feel invisible in school. Music class was one of the only opportunities I had to participate without having to speak. Eventually the confidence I gained from playing music enabled me to break out of my shell verbally.
I believe wholeheartedly in the transformative power of music, which can manifest itself in different ways for different students. I became a teacher to use music as a vehicle to facilitate students to grow into their best selves.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
EC: This is my 15th year!
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
EC: I don’t have a particular favorite lesson to teach, however, the most rewarding lessons are the ones where the students take ownership over the music-making process. Our classes evolve from student input, and the best classes happen when their creativity is flowing and we enjoy the music-making process together.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
EC: Witnessing the transformative effects music can have on students. It’s exciting when students change unexpectedly or suddenly, but it’s also so rewarding to see a student work hard to achieve their goals.
Noozhawk: What are the challenges of your job?
EC: I teach every student at Monroe Elementary School from TK through sixth grade. While I love having a relationship that spans seven to eight years with my students, it also means that I can go from singing with puppets and scarf dancing with kindergarteners to rehearsing a near-junior high-level concert band in a matter of minutes. It definitely keeps things fresh, though, as the curriculum and classes rotate throughout the week — never a dull moment!
Noozhawk: What are you most looking forward to this school year?
EC: I am looking forward to the community, collaboration and camaraderie that happens when students make music together. Being apart for so long really highlighted the missing spark that comes from creating music as an ensemble.
The joy of music is amplified exponentially when you get to do it with people you love.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
EC: Brett Larsen served as a mentor to me during my first days with the Santa Barbara Unified School District and now as SBUSD’s arts coordinator. He has been an invaluable resource and sounding board since we both share the same passion for helping students through music.
My parents were both teachers and have instilled several values I embrace to this day with my students. Their educational philosophies centered around teaching kids first and subject matter second, and loving the students who are the most difficult to love the most.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
EC: I am fortunate to teach in a school where the principal, Brian Naughton, believes in the value arts education has on our students. He has supported the growth and evolution of the program in many ways.
When I go to him with a “wild and crazy” idea, he never shoots it down, he finds ways to support it while joking that I should think wilder and crazier next time.
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of the Salute to Teachers?
EC: I am so humbled and honored to receive this recognition. I feel incredibly privileged to teach in a community that recognizes the impact of the arts on young people.
It is so encouraging as an educator to work in an environment where music as a subject is not just included, but celebrated.