Two DSUSD teachers named Riverside County teachers of the year

Two local teachers in the Desert Sands Unified School District were named Riverside County teachers of the year.

Jodi Fecera is a family and consumer sciences teacher at Palm Desert Charter Middle School.

Ms. Fecerra has had taught a number of different topics in her teaching career, including French, Reading, Study Skills, Finance, etc. When the previous family and consumer sciences teacher was set to retire, a friend suggested she take CSETs and she passed. She calls it the best decision that she has ever made.

Students in Ms. Fecera’s class learn lessons they will be able to use both in and out of the kitchen for the rest of their lives.

"I believe that every single student has some kind of gifting, and not unlike a gold miner, my job is to dig in there and pull out their strengths even if they don't know what their strengths are," Fecerra said.

Tom Buck is a career and technical education teacher for the Institute of Media Production Arts and Creative Technology at Indio High School.

Mr. Buck was originally an English teacher, but his career forever changed when a media teacher at a previous school left. The school's principal asked if he wanted to take over the position and with Mr. Buck's personal background in digital media, film, video, and design, he immediately jumped on the opportunity.

Mr. Buck helps Indio High School students develop skills in filmmaking, graphic design, audio production, broadcast, animation, and leadership. All very useful skills when preparing for postsecondary education and careers in the arts, media, and entertainment industry sector.

"One of the ways I help my students foster that environment of creativity and comradery and safety is by failing myself in front of them repeatedly because once they see that it's okay to be the goofy one, and it's okay for things not to work out, then they're okay doing that," Buck said.

Congratulations to Ms. Fecerra and Mr. Buck! They join