He s one of five finalists chosen from district teachers of the year, out of 185,000 public school teachers throughout the state.
After the announcement, Garaitonandia got back to business with his fifth graders: making cards to show their gratitude on Mother s Day. My hands are still a little shaky, he laughed as he showed his students how to paint flowers.
Garaitonandia immigrated to the U.S. as a child after living in Costa Rica and Cuba, and said his teachers were the ones who helped him navigate those changes in his life. He worked as a professional artist before becoming a teacher 16 years ago. Now, he tries to help his students find their paths and teach them that it s OK to make mistakes.