Patrick Brennan brings his love of music and sports into the classroom and shares these interests with his students. Brennan teaches fifth grade at White Elementary.  

Brennan feels that music, sports, technology and other extracurricular activities can spark students who might not be... Read more

Joanne Grove has been teaching at Tanque Verde Elementary for 25 years. She will be retiring at the end of this school year.  

Grove started in a part-time job with the district and worked as a substitute before she began teaching full time. This year, she co-teaches a fifth-grade class... Read more

Kristin Breinlinger has been teaching for 14 years. The Long Island native taught for four years in New York before moving to Arizona. She teaches third grade at Sycamore Elementary.  

Breinlinger was inspired to become a teacher because of a history teacher at her middle school. “At... Read more

Elizabeth Valenzuela has been teaching for five years, three at Wheeler Elementary. She teaches the fifth-grade GATE class. 

Valenzuela is originally from Sonora, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was 10 years old. She recalls, “I didn’t really like school when I was in... Read more

Paul Pierce teaches fifth grade at Acacia Elementary. He previously taught third grade and fifth grade at Desert Willow Elementary. 

He says he really enjoyed teaching third grade, but he also feels that fifth grade is a good fit for him. As one of only a few male teachers, it lets him “... Read more

Brittany Camden teaches fifth grade at Gale Elementary. This is her third year at Gale. Camden previously worked as an inclusion specialist and behavior specialist at Cottonwood Elementary.  

Camden was excited to make the move to a new school a few years ago because “I heard wonderful... Read more

Elyse Greenberg teaches kindergarten at Donaldson Elementary. This is her sixth year teaching, and she works hard to make sure her young pupils leave her classroom with the skills they need for a bright academic future.  

“Kindergarten is the first opportunity to instill a love of... Read more

Top Photo: Teacher honored at school assembly.

The friendly doctors and staff at Dr. JAW Orthodontists work hard to give kids happy, healthy smiles. Dr. JAW wants to give teachers in Southern Arizona... Read more

Nina Jolly just finished her 12th year of teaching kindergarten at Howell Elementary. Previously, she taught middle school science before taking a break to raise her two daughters.

Jolly enjoys the way the young students soak up information. 

“I think kindergartners are like... Read more

Craig Culbertson teaches fifth grade at Wright Elementary. This year marks his 13th teaching at the school. 

Culbertson is a Tucson native who started his career working in sales. He worked at a kiosk selling wireless phones, and later was a district sales manager. He says his students... Read more