A San Diego County teacher who initially declined his nomination is among 5 teachers selected for a Teacher of the Year award — and he never saw the recognition coming.
Mike Neumann, a news and digital media teacher at Southwest High, was surprised with the honor on campus.
"We don't do this for the acknowledgement, we don't do this for the accolades," Neumann said.
Neumann originally did not accept the nomination for the award.
"I think there's a lot of imposter syndrome," Neumann said.
Students say the recognition is well earned.
"I feel like this award is very well deserved... he just pushes us to be our best every day," one student said.
The moment Neumann received the award left an impression on those watching.
"The way he almost started crying kind of got to me," another student said.
Neumann said his goal goes beyond teaching the mechanics of news and digital media — he wants his students to carry confidence with them long after they leave his classroom.
"That is the most powerful thing that you can give high school students is to believe in themselves — because there is challenges that I won't be there for," Neumann said.
Neumann 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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