JURUPA VALLEY – Jurupa Middle School teacher Anthony Gomez had just returned to his classroom after sweating through 8th grade promotion practice outside in the sun. Moments later, he was moved to tears as he was surrounded by students, colleagues, his mother, and his wife and young children, while Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez announced the news that the dual language immersion history teacher has been named the second 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year.
“Mr. Gomez currently teaches in the community where he grew up, and his philosophy is based on the idea of making history fun,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “I understand the inspiration and impetus of how his life experiences lead students to embrace their identity.”
Mr. Gomez will join Beth Schwandt from Lake Hills Elementary School in Alvord Unified School District to represent Riverside County in the 2023 California State Teacher of the Year competition later this year. Two more Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be revealed in upcoming surprise visits.
“I’ve thought about this day as a possibility, and for everybody to be here, today, it is overwhelming,” said Anthony Gomez who referenced his students immediately after the surprise. “I’d like to thank my students, because you are the motivation for everything I do. You give me great feedback to make me better every year.”
Mr. Gomez also extended his thanks to his parents for coming to the country, and to his wife for always supporting him.
“I’m literally a product of my environment in the very best way—from starting as an English learner to receiving this award today,” Mr. Gomez said.
About Anthony Gomez
Identifying fun and engaging ways to connect middle school students with history is a daily challenge for Anthony Gomez. As a dual-language immersion teacher who conducts much of his class in Spanish, Mr. Gomez found it difficult to locate appropriate videos about the history of the world and the United States in Spanish. So, he began creating them on his own. In his eight years as a teacher, he has produced hundreds of instructional videos and teacher lessons on his YouTube channel, Teaching Juntos, that range from “cringy raps” about the American Revolution, to a special effects-laden time travel video about the Mayan jungle.
Mr. Gomez was an English learner, a first-born child of Mexican immigrants, and the first in his family to go to an American school. He teaches within the same community where he grew up, and takes pride in being an example to his students of how people of color can be successful.
Beyond the classroom, he helps his students build confidence in themselves and their mastery of language skills by having them serve as translators at activities and events and preparing them for the Spanish AP test in the 8th grade.
2023 Riverside County Teacher of Year Announcements
5/25/2022 - Elementary Music Teacher Beth Schwandt Named First 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year in Surprise Visit
5/26/2022 - Dual Language Immersion History Teacher Anthony Gomez Named Second 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
5/27/2022 - Autumn Khong Lundblad of Beaumont USD Named Third 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Once named, all four teachers of the year will represent Riverside County in the 2023 California Teacher of the Year competition where at least one Riverside County teacher has been selected as a California Teacher of the Year in eight of the last nine years:
- 2022 – Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD
- 2021 – Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
- 2020 – Brenda Chavez-Barreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD
- 2019 – Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
- 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD
- 2017 – Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District
- 2016 – Michelle Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
- 2014 – Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD
The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where a selection committee reviews the applications on each district candidate and selects semi-finalists. The selection committee then conducts interviews and site visits to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year.