SEVA Teacher of the Week

Richard Howe of Genevieve Didion K-8

Richard Howe of Genevieve Didion K-8 in the Sacramento City Unified School District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Mr. Howe has been a SEVA teacher from all the way back in 2006 and has grown along with the SEVAs. The program has transformed from just basic video production to a full news broadcast. In this process, Mr. Howe has greatly expanded the opportunities for his students. While teaching his students broadcasting, Mr. Howe has also helped his students learn about deadlines, writing, project management, and more. Mr. Howe is just as passionate about teaching his students these concrete skills as he is allowing them to use their imagination. As media and technology develops, Mr. Howe continues to change his teaching techniques to allow students the best environment for learning and development. Through media, his students are able to truly own the skills they are learning. Thank you, Mr. Howe being such a long-time supporter of media education!

Jerry Bandy of Pleasant Grove High School

This week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week is Jerry Bandy of Pleasant Grove High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Mr. Bandy took on the huge task of being the media teacher at Pleasant Grove on top of his responsibilities of being an English teacher. He excels at showing young adults how to navigate the world of media and helps them to develop their passion for creativity. Mr. Bandy has big plans for the media program and understands the value that all students gain from learning about technology. He constantly looks at ways to help his students connect with the community. He gives students a reason to come to school every day by providing them with the opportunity to express their creativity and thrive. Mr. Bandy also gives a voice not just to the students in media, but to all students on campus. Through the news broadcast, he maintains a high level of expectations for his students, and in this way he teaches them the importance of taking initiative and responsibility. Thank you, Mr. Bandy, for showing us the impact students can have on the community and the impact getting involved in the community can make on students.

Kevin Broxton of Elitha Donner Elementary School

This week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week is Kevin Broxton. Mr. Broxton is the second half of the powerhouse duo that leads media production at Elitha Donner Elementary in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Mr. Broxton helps wrangle all of the cameras, props and equipment together for the students so they have access to everything they need to put together an award winning video. He not only helps his students learn about the mechanics of media, he also helps them develop speaking and performance skills. Helping his students learn these important techniques allows them to create better videos as well as become a better students in general. He is always readily available to provide his guidance and in the most patient way possible. Mr. Broxton’s gentle, guiding spirit makes him a great asset to his students, his school and the SEVA program.

Guillermo Ramirez of Elitha Donner Elementary School

Over the next two weeks, two talented teachers from the Elk Grove Unified School District will be featured. They both stepped up to the plate at Elitha Donner Elementary School to lead the after school video production club. The first teacher to be featured in this duo is Guillermo Ramirez. Mr. Ramirez has a unique background that he brings into the classroom. He worked at a TV station for many years before becoming a teacher and enjoys sharing his real world knowledge and experience with these young students. Mr. Ramirez’s students have the opportunity to learn from their teacher the various camera techniques that he picked up during his real-world experience. Mr. Ramirez is also known for his ability to guide students through the editing process, ensuring students use music and transitions appropriately in their videos. It is clear that Mr. Ramirez has a passion for teaching media and the quality work his students create is a testament to this. Thank you, Mr. Ramirez for showing how contagious a true passion for media can be and the difference it can make in student’s lives.

 Mara Firestone and Lori Ginni of River Oaks Elementary School

This week we have not only one, but two SEVA Teachers of the Week. Mara Firestone and Lori Ginni are the dynamic duo that teach media at River Oaks Elementary in the Galt Elementary Joint Union School District. Ms. Firestone and Ms. Ginni work seamlessly as a team to help teach students the basics of media and video technology. They are both known for having a great sense of humor and making their students laugh. Ms. Firestone is described as fair and dependable by her students which makes them respect her guidance and opinions. Students describe Ms. Ginni as kind, and is known for keeping their students on track with their work to ensure they are able to meet deadlines. Their students rely on their guidance and come to their media club knowing they’ll be there to help them put their best work forward. Thank you, Ms. Firestone and Ms. Ginni for showing us what a powerful force two amazing teachers can be.

Kim Tricomo of North Country Elementary School

Kim Tricomo of North Country Elementary in the Center Unified School District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Ms. Tricomo is known for her patience and ability to teach students the knowledge they need to be able to create a powerful video. She shows her students step by step how to best tell their story and makes sure that they have the understanding to do it again in the future. She is very hands-on and is always her students’ biggest cheerleader. Ms. Tricomo even gets parents involved! We are in awe of her enthusiasm and dedication to her students. Thank you Ms. Tricomo for everything you do and for ensuring even our youngest students have the chance to tell their own stories through media.

 Erik  Knight of Andrew Carnegie Middle School

Erik Knight of Andrew Carnegie Middle School in the San Juan Unified School District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Mr. Knight is on his third year of teaching media and is already hooked. From day one, he was impressed by the creativity his students get to showcase through their work. He appreciates the amount of responsibility that students demonstrate in media class and he knows just the right moment to step in and support them. While the gear his school has may be a little out of date, he helps students make the most of what they have. Just recently, Mr. Knight put in extra effort to refresh their studio gear and is always looking for ways to continue his development as a teacher. He knows that with the right combination of technology and creativity, his students are able to create amazing pieces of work.

Susan Erickson of Oak Hill Elementary School

Susan Erickson a GATE Teacher at Oak Hill Elementary School in Center Joint Unified School District. Mrs. Erickson is part of a dynamic group of media teachers at her school. Each teacher in this group has their own important role and the others give Mrs. Erickson the credit for getting the media program started in the first place. Mrs. Erickson is also the leader when it comes to SEVA video submissions. Mrs. Erickson strongly believes in allowing her students to tell the story they want to tell, but she is always there to make suggestions on how to emphasize their ideas. She has created a great relationship with teachers at other schools in her district and has been able to help encourage students to continue their media training throughout their time in Center Joint Unified School District.


Katie Edwards of Oak Hill Elementary School

Katie Edwards is a part of the Media Teacher Group at Oak Hill Elementary in the Center Joint Unified School District. Mrs. Edwards is truly a team player and helps her students as well as her fellow teachers in so many ways! When we spend time in her classroom, it’s hard to keep track because she seems to be in many places at once. She is willing to take on whatever role is needed to ensure the students have the support they need. Mrs. Edwards also knows the importance of all the skills that her students are learning through media. She helps students learn from each other, which encourages them to build stronger bonds as a school community. In this way, she allows students to build their school spirit, while they are able to express their creativity and individuality which happens to be one of her favorite parts of teaching.

 Marci Phillips of Oak Hill Elementary School

This week’s SEVA Teacher of the week is Marci Phillips from Oak Hill Elementary School. She has been at Oak Hill Elementary for seventeen years and has seen how important media is for students especially as this program has grown and she has played an important role in helping it take shape. Mrs. Phillips takes a large role in facilitating the Otter Outlook News. She is constantly helping students put together the script for their news shows and her background in journalism helps her to ensure that students are putting forth their best work. Students know they can turn to her when they need advice and rely on her experience to take their news show to the next level. Mrs. Phillips has an unbelievable amount of patience which is absolutely necessary when putting together this show. Mrs. Phillips works alongside the other media teachers at Oak Hill to create a seamless transition from project to project.

Patrick Muldoon of Oak Hill Elementary School

This SEVA Teacher of the week comes from Oak Hill Elementary School in the Center Joint Unified School District. Patrick Muldoon is the king of technology for the group of media teachers at Oak Hill! He helps the students with their equipment and ensures that everything technology related runs smoothly, which is a huge task with the amount these teachers have going on. Mr. Muldoon seems to constantly have a group of students around him pulling him in different directions. But no matter how large of a group gathers Mr. Muldoon is able to help each student and send them on their way. Not only does Mr. Muldoon have the responsibility of helping his students but he also helps the three other teachers that make up the media program at Oak Hill. We recently have had more experience with Mr. Muldoon and it has been a privilege getting to work more closely with him.

John Archie Sr. of Rio Cazadero High School

Rio Cazadero High School is located in the Elk Grove District and for the past two years John Archie Sr. has been their media teacher. Mr. Archie has been teaching for 21 years and has learned a thing or two during his time in the classroom. Even with changes in education, the one thing he counts as a constant is that special moment when something clicks with the student; they have what he refers to as: “that light bulb moment”. This is still Mr. Archie’s favorite part of teaching after all these years. This year he tackled a new challenge of adding an advanced class for his media students and we share his excitement in seeing what they are able to accomplish. Mr. Archie has been able to teach his students that media is an excellent way to share their authentic voices. Anyone can see that helping each student share their voice is a real goal of his and he takes this goal to heart. Mr. Archie knows that like education, technology is forever changing. His ability to help his student harness technology in order to have ‘light bulb moments’ is inspiring.

 Brad Clark of Franklin High School

This week’s SEVA Teacher comes from Franklin High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Brad Clark is the Digital Media, Animation and Audio Production teacher for Franklin High School’s STEAM Academy. Mr. Clark is known for being truly passionate about media and he thrives on sharing this passion with his students. Students in his program learn to make a variety of different types of films and study all aspects of film making which helps them find their voice in an authentic, meaningful way. Mr. Clark engages his students by having them enter regional and statewide competitions in order to share their work beyond the four walls of the classroom. This enables them to receive a wider variety of feedback and sets a high bar for the quality of their work. In this way, Mr. Clark’s students get a leg up in college and beyond. His students have consistently taken home top awards locally and beyond. Thank you, Mr. Clark, for helping his students find their voice through digital media and helping them share that voice with the world.

Joshua Creeger of Cordova High School

Josh Creeger of Cordova High School in the Folsom Cordova District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Mr. Creeger has been teaching for an impressive 18 years and has had over 6 years of experience teaching media. While he is a science teacher at heart, Mr. Creeger’s fervent spirit has led him to teach media production as well as take on the job of activities director. It is inspirational to watch how he helps strengthen his students’ education, as well as the entire campus community through his media training. Several of his students have gone on to work in video production for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District as well as for SECC. Each student that comes into Mr. Creeger’s classroom has a different background and a different way of learning. He channels this and encourages the students to share what they know with each other. He has two levels of media classes and watching the students come together to collaborate and teach each other is what the SEVAs are all about. What is even more amazing about Mr. Creeger is the fact that he is teaching at the high school he attended and has been able to create a program for the students that was not available when he attended. Thank you, Mr. Creeger for being an example of what true dedication and passion are all about.

Charles King of Heron School

This week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week is Charles King of Heron School in the Natomas School District. Mr. King is known for having the perfect balance of fun and structure in his classroom. He is constantly pushing his students to create their best work and ensures he provides the support they need to be able to do so. He seems to have a sixth-sense when it comes to students needing help. Before they can even raise their hand, he is there ready to give support and guidance. Mr. King is able to transform his classroom into a news studio in a matter of minutes and empowers his students to take on their own leading roles in the process. His students have the flexibility to show their creativity while also creating dynamic news shows that are broadcast around their school. Mr. King also allows his students to find their niche in his media class and encourages them to go outside of their comfort zone to do so. There is a sense of trust and respect when you enter his classroom and we believe this is why his studio runs as well as it does. Thank you, Mr. King for all that you do for your students!

Tia Summers of Rosemont High School

Tia Summers of Rosemont High School in the Sacramento City Unified School District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Although Ms. Summers considers herself a rookie teacher, she is one of the most passionate and professional teachers we have come into contact with. At SEVA Teacher Meetings, she is always full of energy and ready to collaborate with anyone who is willing. She has an authenticity that is hard to find and a genuine excitement for sharing her passion of media with her students. Ms. Summers has said that she feels lucky to spend her time educating and inspiring students, and after talking with her students, you can tell that they feel lucky to have her as a teacher. Ms. Summers understands that each student is unique and she is able to help them express their authentic selves through the videos they create. In her class there are no right or wrong answers, however there are high expectations which allow her students to feel safe take their creativity to the next level. Thank you, Ms. Summers, for the joy you bring to your students and the entire SEVA program.

Matt Rowland of Arden Middle School

Laura Harmon of Samuel Jackman Middle School

This week’s SEVA Teacher comes from Samuel Jackman Middle School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Laura Harmon is in her eighth year of teaching and continually looks for new challenges in order to better teacher the students she serves. Just this past year she tasked her students with doing a live, daily newscast. Although there was a large learning curve, Ms. Harmon has been able to navigate her way through it, and as a result, has increased the level of responsibility, time management and other important life skills that her students are able to learn. She is constantly sharing her joy of the technical and creative side of media with her students and shows them how easily these skills complement each other. She has a deep understanding of how video production skills can help create successful, well-rounded students. Ms. Harmon takes full advantage of the entire SEVA program and uses the opportunities it provides to show her students what they can do with a bit of inspiration and motivation! Thank you, Ms. Harmon, for being a supporter of the SEVAs and for constantly looking to improve her skills for the betterment of her students. As you said, the sky is the limit!

Jeff Darrow of John Barrett Middle School

Jeff Darrow of John Barrett Middle School in the San Juan Unified School District is this week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week. Mr. Darrow has taught media for twelve years and has participated in the SEVAs nearly since his first day. During this time Mr. Darrow has discovered his love of teaching media by encouraging students to tell their stories their way. His class is designed to motivate his students to use their own authentic creativity and you can see the results in the joy and passion that his students have for the work they do in his class. This year has brought new students into Mr. Darrow’s ever-growing program, and he has been able to help show them that the skills they learn in media can be applied in any subject that they study. When you enter Mr. Darrow’s classroom you can feel the buzz of student’s working together and building off each other’s ideas. He truly has a unique way of allowing his students to have their own methods while knowing the perfect moment to intervene before things gets off track. This is the second media program that Mr. Darrow has led and we have no doubt that he will be able to grow it into something special. Thank you, Mr. Darrow for always being willing to take on a challenge and for bringing the SEVA program to yet another school. We can’t wait to see what your students are able to create!

Brian Weitzel of Del Campo High School

Trevor Harding of Sunrise Elementary School

Karen Albert from McCaffrey Middle School

Thuy Pham of Creative Connections Arts Academy

Dana La Chapelle of Toby Johnson Middle School

John Hull of Luther Burbank High School

This week’s SEVA Teacher of the Week comes from Luther Burbank High School. John Hull has been teaching for 14 years and has not lost any of his enthusiasm for what he does. You can tell that media is not only his work, but his passion as well. He gets just as excited as his students do about their videos. In Mr. Hull’s classroom, the students enthusiasm only grows when they talk about their projects with Mr. Hull and he begins to infuse his own spirit and energy. It is this enthusiasm that hooks his students in to his media program. His students continue to improve their techniques year after year and become mentors to new students in the program. Mr. Hull provides his students with the opportunity to compare their work with others by collaborating with the SEVAs. By doing this his students are able to see that their work is just as good as the others out there which creates an excitement for them to continue producing great digital media. Thank you Mr. Hull for being a pillar in the SEVA program, it’s hard to imagine this group of teachers without you in it.

Erica Swift of Herman Leimbach Elementary School

Ms. Swift has been teaching for 17 years and is returning to the classroom this year after spending a number of years as a very successful computer resource teacher. Erica’s commitment to using technology as a tool for opening a world of learning possibilities is truly impressive. Ms. Swift helps her elementary students complete ambitious projects though focusing on pitch drills, planning, creating, and receiving feedback. She has instilled so much confidence in her students, that she has led students off-campus as reporters to capture stories from the surrounding community. Her students are proud of the projects they produce in her class and beyond. It’s this well-rounded teaching that allows Ms. Swift’s students to be more critical consumers of the media they encounter on a daily basis. It also empowers them to share their own ideas through the media they create. In this, her student’s can begin to recognize biases in the media they consume, which is a very critical skill. Ms. Swift has been able to give her students the opportunity to share their voices beyond the classroom and show them the importance of staying on track and meeting a deadline. The SEVA program is lucky to have her.

Mr. Bisho is one of our favorite teachers to collaborate with given his enthusiasm and passion for what he does. In fact, Mr. Bisho helped build the SEVA program in to what it is today during his 29 years as a teacher. At Center High School’s Media Communications Academy in the Center Joint Unified School District, Mr. Bisho has worked tirelessly to build an award-winning program where story structure and writing are the foundation of student video projects. More recently, Mr. Bisho has expanded his teaching to the elementary and middle schools in his district where he has helped ignite the next generation of SEVA student producers. Mr. Bisho always encourages his students to grow and is excited that they will likely be the creators of quality content in the future. In collaboration with the SEVAs, Mr. Bisho has been able to motivate his students to work harder on projects and learn skills that they use in daily life. He has taken this a step further by finding unique opportunities for his students in field trips, workshops, and festivals. It’s these unique opportunities that keep his students interested, passionate and curious about media and film. Thank you, Mr. Bisho, for your humble presence, subtle humor and vast knowledge of video production techniques. You have impacted the SEVA program in more ways than words can say!

Melissa May of Inderkum High School

Melissa May is only on her third year of teaching, but she brings a wealth of knowledge from real world experience into her classroom. Mrs. May came to Inderkum High School in the Natomas Unified School District after a longtime career with ABC 10 as a TV journalist. Her career on TV is part of what makes Mrs. May such a dynamic and unique part of the SEVA Teacher Program. She is able to continuously give real-world applications of the work students are doing in her class, and this has become a game changer for her students. Mrs. May does anything she can to help her students follow their dreams and she tries to make sure every door is open to them. Mrs. May understands that the future of media is evolving and believes this helps not only prepare, but excite her students for the endless possibilities that could be in their future. When speaking with Mrs. May’s students, it’s clear that her passion and dedication has created a spark in them and we can’t wait to see what they are able to accomplish. Thank you, Mrs. May, for always being willing to share your knowledge and experiences with everyone you meet. You have encouraged us all to look at media from a different perspective and your passion to help students is truly admirable.

Wendy Esquivel of Will Rogers Middle School

Brooke Beckett of Galt High School

Our SEVA Teacher of the Week is Brooke Beckett from Galt High School in the Galt Joint Union High School District.Brooke Beckett has been teaching for the past ten years and has shown that she truly understands what great opportunities media creates for students. Brooke uses her teaching to show students how to express themselves, while simultaneously showing them that media has real world applications and instills universal skills. Ms. Beckett’s talent was recently recognized by her district when they awarded her the 2018 Teacher of the Year. Ms. Beckett also has the great ability of recognizing talent in students and pulling them in. Just last year she saw a student filming on campus and helped them take part in the SEVA program. She is able to broaden student horizons by teaching new programs and skills. Ms. Beckett constantly pushes her students to higher levels of rigor which shows in the videos her students submit. There is a passion that comes through when talking to her students and it is clear that Ms. Beckett is a driving force behind that passion. Thank you, Brooke, for helping represent what the SEVAs are all about and for helping show students just how great media can be!

Jennifer Law of Wilson C. Riles Middle School

Jennifer Law from Wilson C. Riles Middle School in Center Joint Unified School District is our SEVA Teacher of the Week. Ms. Law has made an impact in the lives of her students for the past 23 years, and just recently created an opportunity for her students to learn video production. She has quickly grown her video program and hopes to do even more to help students express themselves through media. The SEVA program is actually what encouraged Ms. Law to start an after-school media program at Wilson C. Riles Middle School. Through her media program, Ms. Law has been able to instill in her students the importance of timelines, as well as share in their joy when they have been through the process and have completed projects that are truly theirs. She has learned how great an outlet media is for students to express themselves and is constantly encouraging them to learn more and go further. We have no doubt that Ms. Law’s program is just the beginning for her and her students and we can’t wait to see what their future holds! Thank you, Ms. Law for your willingness to put in the work to start this program for your students. We appreciate you and all that you do!

Kyle Heckey of Sutter Middle School

Our SEVA Teacher of the Week is Kyle Heckey from Sutter Middle School in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Mr. Heckey has been teaching media for 4 of his 17 years of teaching. One of Mr. Heckey’s biggest passions in media is showing his students that although videos can require hard work to create, they are worth the effort to have a lasting project that lives on after school is over. His students’ hard work shows in the three SEVAs they took home during this last year’s award night. If you look in his classroom, it’s no surprise that his favorite SEVA category is creative expression. He gives his students the flexibility to create whatever they are passionate about, and is always there to help in any way he can. Just this past year, submissions from his students involved everything from recycling, to school ghosts, germs and the golden rule! Student creativity not only shined, but it was clear that it was encouraged and nurtured by Mr. Heckey. Thank you, Mr. Heckey for your constant curiosity and eagerness to learn! We can’t wait to see what you will accomplish in the future of media!

Tammy Null of Florence Markofer Elementary

Our SEVA Teacher of the Week is Tammy Null of Florence Markofer Elementary in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Mrs. Null has been teaching for over 18 years, and has not lost a single ounce of her enthusiasm. Her excitement is contagious at SEVA events, as well as in her classroom. It is incredible to witness Mrs. Null instill confidence in her students to create their first videos. Although she is a master at making the best of what equipment she has, her studio was given a needed upgrade this year with a SEVA grant. With her help, her students are sure to be able to accomplish great things with the new equipment. Mrs. Null loves sharing her passion with others and it shows! When her students were asked about their SEVA experience, a constant theme was how much she had shared her vast knowledge with them in meaningful ways. Mrs. Null is looking toward the future to see what new technology it will bring for her classroom. We have no doubt that she will continue to be an integral part of the SEVA community. Thank you, Mrs. Null for your contagious enthusiasm and passion! We are proud of all you have contributed to your students, as well as to the SEVA program itself.

2018 Allan Hinderstein winner Joann Darrow

Our SEVA Teacher of the Week recognizes teachers that go above and beyond when it comes to media, and Joann Darrow is the perfect example. Joann has been teaching for 17 years and has made an everlasting impression on her students. She was awarded the 2018 Hinderstein Award for her commitment to integrate videos as a tool for opening a world of learning possibilities for her students. It’s this commitment and her excitement about the future of media that makes her truly great. She is always looking to grow and change with her students and knows the value that students feel when they are a part of something bigger than the classroom. Joann has learned that not only is she teaching her students, but they are teaching her at the same time and they are often times the best teachers! When speaking to the students in her classroom each one had their own story about how Joann had helped them grow their passion in media. Our SEVA program would not be the same without her and the over 130 videos her students have entered since 2012. Thank you Joann for all that you do and for being such a great contributor to the SEVA Program!