Every year Carlsbad High chooses one teacher to receive the honor of being named teacher of the year. After receiving nominations by the staff, the committee of former CHS teachers of the year selected English teacher Ms. Papera.

“Although I’ve taught 9th to 12th graders, I’ve been working with seniors for the majority of my career,” Papera said. “I teach College Prep and Advanced Placement English, and this year I am also the Academy Internship Coordinator.”

Commitment to Carlsbad remains very important for Papera. Along with teaching, she takes pride in working with students both inside and outside class.

“I am surprised she didn’t get teacher of the year before now because she is pretty awesome,” senior Natalie North-Cole said. “She deserves it because she works really hard and also balances other things on top of teaching English. She is the coordinator for Academy Interns, so she has taken on a lot of academic responsibility at Carlsbad.”

Papera loves working with all the teachers at CHS and is humbled by the honor of winning this year’s teacher of the year. Her passion for English allows her students to express themselves in her class.

“While she does guide us in the right direction, she doesn’t really feed us the answers,” North-Cole said. “She doesn’t tell us what to think, so it is a very open ended class where you can use your creativity to make up your own ideas and interpretations.”

She also incorporates up to date technology in order to help her students learn to the best of their ability, while also being environmentally friendly.

“We use the Chrome Book laptops in class,” North-Cole said. “We do a lot of internet work through Google Drive because we are trying to save paper. I like them because we get to do our projects online. Ms. Papera has been the pilot for introducing this technology into classrooms.”

This not only engages the students, but enhances their the ability to work in a college class environment.

“As opposed to a normal English class, we are gaining a lot of skills with technology,” North-Cole said. “This is going to be more applicable to what a college class might be like. This class will give us an edge for next year when all the seniors leave for college.”

Students not only gain a broader perspective of literature in Papera’s class, but also receive support in getting into college.

“She is a really good, knowledgeable teacher who definitely knows a lot about literature,” North-Cole said. “She also is very understanding, especially when it comes to seniors. She understands that we have to do college stuff and she will work with us.”

Teaching is a lifestyle that takes patience and a true understanding of students, and Papera embodies what it means to be a an outstanding teacher.

“It’s a unique profession because we have a beginning, middle and end to each school year which is unlike the experience of most professions,” Papera said.  “I enjoy watching the students grow over the course of the school year, celebrating their accomplishments, and seeing the paths they choose to take for the next part of their lives.  It’s an exciting age and one of the reasons I love working with seniors.  After graduation, I always look forward to beginning the process all over again in the fall with a new group of students.”