SACRAMENTO – Tamara Reina is not your average teacher. Instead of passing a library and a cafeteria on the way to her classroom, she passes razor wire and sliding steel doors. Reina is a teacher at East Mesa School located within San Diego’s all male East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility. On this weekend’s California Lottery “The Big Spin®” show, Reina was honored as one of California’s 2008 Teachers of the Year.
Reina works with some of the most serious offenders in San Diego County. Life in the unit and court dates are reminders of the mistakes her students have made and struggles to come. She realizes that at the end of her day, she gets to return to the warm comfort of her home and family, while her students have to go back to locked cells. As a result, she sees her classroom as an educational cocoon -- a place where students can escape the stress of their current situation, feel a sense of pride in their academic accomplishments and see hope in their future.
When Reina was asked what made her decide to become a teacher, she said, “Someone once told me, ‘If you really want to effect change, education is where’s it’s at’ so I went back to school and never looked back.
“My students really need to experience success, they haven’t always had a good relationship with the educational system, and they have had such amazing experiences they’ve lived through so much that I think their voice is critical.” said Reina.
And does Reina truly think it is possible to turn a life around and make anything happen for anyone? “I know it’s possible, I watch it happen everyday.”
Reina says her proudest contributions and accomplishments often come in the small moments. She is most proud when a student has the courage to read a poem about his mother to the class or when a student puts his ego on the line to answer a complex critical thinking question. The big moments inspire her as well, such as when a student passes the General Education Development (GED) or enrolls in college and is still there three semesters later carrying a full load.
Reina also in leads by example. She treats her students with respect, and in doing so, models the respect they must show for others. Ultimately, she hopes that respect translates into respect for themselves. She feels to be effective, her passion for learning must be infectious. She believes education is comprised of three basic elements: bringing each student into the curriculum, making every academic experience relevant to their lives and finally providing continued assistance to students after they leave the classroom.
For her unending dedication to her students and to her craft, Reina is a 2008 honoree of the California Teachers of the Year Program presented by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. In conjunction with the Superintendent, this weekend the California Lottery recognized Reina during Saturday’s The Big Spin show.
The California Teachers of the Year Program pays tribute to the tireless efforts of our state's outstanding teachers. The Teachers of the Year Program brings attention and recognition to the more than 300,000 teachers in California. The California Department of Education invites county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, professional organizations, and private schools statewide to participate in the program by nominating teachers that they feel go above and beyond the call of duty. Additionally, one of the selected California Teachers of the Year is then nominated as a National Teacher of the Year. Since the National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952, California has had six National Teachers of the Year.
More than 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to the community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail commissions. The California Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed more than $20 billion to California schools out of total sales of nearly $55 billion. Retailers benefit too, earning $3.5 billion in compensation since 1985.