A 4th generation teacher at La Costa Heights Elementary is one of 5 San Diego County educators selected for a Teacher of the Year award — and she never saw it coming.
Katie Andan, a 5th grade teacher, was surprised with the honor on campus.
Andan said teaching has been part of her identity since childhood.
"I was teaching when I was like seven years old. I had the red pen that I would write all over their paper, pretending I was their teacher," Andan said.
That calling has never faded.
"Now I show up every day making sure every kid has a safe place to learn, to make mistakes, to make friends," Andan said.
Two of those students know her better than most — her own children, Ziggy Andan and Zubie Andan, were in her class last year.
"99% of students just loved her," Ziggy Andan said.
"She made sure that every student left her class with skills not just as a student but as a human," Zubie Andan said.
For Andan, being more human means being part of a community and advocating for others. Each year, she and her class choose a bill to research and lobby for — taking on topics like youth homelessness, plastic pollution, and the gender pay gap.
This year, the class traveled to Sacramento to lobby for a bill that requires new playgrounds to be more inclusive for people with disabilities.
"They can use their voice at any age, they can make a difference," Andan said.
Andan is one of 5 teachers across San Diego County being highlighted on consecutive days as part of the Teacher of the Year recognition.
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