Meet the Four Finalists for Miami-Dade Teacher of the Year Award

Culinary Arts Educator Inspires Second Career

• 👨‍🍳 Chef Gary Spitnail, after a year of retirement, returned to teaching culinary arts at Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College.
• 💡 He finds his motivation in his students, encouraging them to make mistakes in school to avoid them in their future careers.

Dedication in Language Arts

• 🍎 Julia Pennington Gilchrist fosters a passionate learning environment for her language arts students at Dr. Frederrico Wilson Skyway Elementary.
• ❤️ Her dedication stems from a difficult past; teachers supported her at age 16 after her mother's death, and she now pays that kindness forward.
• ⚡ She believes her students energize her, keeping her young, excited, and passionate about teaching.

STEM and Robotics Advocate

• 🤖 Dale Adamson discovered his passion for teaching STEM after initially planning to attend medical school.
• 🚀 He now teaches robotics at McMillan Middle School, where a club he started has grown into a popular program with over 200 students.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Adamson teaches at the same school as his mother and sister, sharing a collective passion for educating the next generation and fostering independent learning.

Civics and Social Studies Educator

• 🇺🇸 Robert Rebello teaches social studies and civics at South Miami Middle School, emphasizing the importance of civics and the Constitution.
• 🌟 His passion is deeply rooted in honoring his Cuban parents, whom he strives to make proud each day through his teaching.
• 💬 He expresses that his purpose is to make his parents proud, and he thanks them for the teacher he has become.