Aragon Band Director Troy Davis received the Bay Section Outstanding Music Educator Award from the California Music Education Association (CMEA), recognized in two conferences. Spanish Teacher and Co-instructional Technology Coordinator Nicole Elenz-Martin received the California Languages Teacher Association (CLTA) Outstanding Teacher Award and the Regional Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for Computer User Educators (CUE) — the latter highlighting her efforts in technology education.
Troy Davis
Davis was recognized for the Outstanding Music Educator Award of the Bay Section during a CMEA conference for the extended Bay Area in January and a statewide California All-State Music Education Conference in February. Davis says, “The award that I won is for the CMEA Bay Section, which includes 14 Bay Area counties … It’s a large area … like an extended Bay Area. We have a conference every January, and the award was [first] presented to me at that conference.”
The award was based on overall achievements and experience.
Says Davis, “The criteria, as per the CMEA nomination form, is that the recipient has ‘demonstrated excellence in the field of music education.’ I am very honored that others in my field believe that I am doing so.”
Regarding his inspiration, Davis says, “I am most inspired by my students. You are why I teach and the people who motivate me to do better. I am also very grateful by the incredible leadership and support [of] the Aragon administration, faculty, staff and community.
Nicole Elenz-Martin
Elenz-Martin’s CLTA award results from considerable work in the world language field. Elenz-Martin says, “I obviously work here, but I also teach at the Stanford World Language Project and the professional development program there, and my colleagues from both the Stanford World Language and here from Aragon nominated me … I have been a Spanish teacher for 12 years and I’ve also done a lot of teacher education.”
With the CUE Award and her other foot in technology education, Elenz-Martin says, “I have always liked learning about new ways to use technology to help enhance learning for students and instruction and assessment. The strand of world language that I teach at Stanford is actually the technology strand and I’ve also taught technology professional development for different organizations,” she says.
Elenz-Martin concludes, “I know I had students write me letters of recommendation for the awards which means more than anything, when students [express] their appreciation or gratitude in what you do.”
