Mandarin High School history teacher Jim Schmitt was greeted by a few more visitors in his classroom compared to his usual batch of students on Tuesday morning. With a giant banner in hand, Florida Department of Education officials let the veteran teacher know that he was a 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalist.
Schmitt is one of five finalists that were selected throughout Florida out of the state s more than 185,000 public school teachers. Each year, the Department of Education selects finalists from a pool of district Teachers of the Year.
In January, Schmitt who has been in the field for 27 years was named Duval County s Teacher of the Year. He was recognized for his work developing a writing program for at-risk students, writing a $10,000 grant for a school-to-work program and for serving as a standards coach. Before he became a teacher, Schmitt served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy.
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.