John Zachau, History
teacher at Granite Hills High School in Apple Valley
was honored this week
as the teacher of the month in the Teachers are Heroes
Program sponsored by Victor Valley College, San Bernardino
County Schools, Clear Channel Radio, and Desert Community
Bank.
The opening line of the nomination
essay submitted by a student in one of Mr. Zachau’s
classes stated, “A
hero is someone who has given his or her life to something
bigger than oneself,” a quote attributed to Joseph
Campbell. “My teacher is one of those people. He
makes it impossible not to learn something and to apply
this newly learned knowledge to one’s own life
so as to never forget what was taught.
I have
had this instructor for two years now and for those
two years he has been my favorite teacher. Mr
Zachau has this charisma that you can not help but
love.
When he lectures he jams you with information that you
will for sure think you will never remember. But then
he takes the key point and applies it to modern life
so that way you will relate.
When I was switched into Mr Zachau’s
class last year, it was a pain to make up all the work
which I doubt
I ever did. I was only in his class for two to three
months before I left Granite to go on home school. I
was trying to juggle public school and taking care of
my mom who was having mini strokes and to tell you the
truth it wasn’t working. But for the days that
I was able to go to school I would always look forward
to his class because it was the only one that took my
mind off my mom.
When I came back to Granite for
my junior year I had been put in his class once again
and I loved it. I don’t
think he knows exactly how he influences his students
but I can tell you when you are in his class the only
thing on your mind is history, nothing else matters.
That’s one of the things his students appreciate,
the fact that he pulls them out of their hectic lives
and allows them to think for themselves. That’s
why this individual is a hero even if he has no clue
he is one.”
The
Teachers are Heroes Program honors one kindergarten
through 14 teacher every month out of the nearly 7,000
teachers in the High Desert. Teachers are selected
based on essays submitted to Clear Channel Radio
stations and
then reviewed by a panel of judges.
Honorees receive gift certificates for school supplies,
a recognition plaque, and special treats for the classroom.
At the end of the year, all twelve honorees and their
students will be invited to an annual celebration held
at Maverick Stadium.
“We are honoring teachers who go above and beyond, be it in the classroom,
the school, or the community,” said Lori Kildal, Ph.D., Dean of Instruction
at Victor Valley College.
Teacher nominations may be submitted in the form of 500 words-or-less essays
to www.KATCOUNTRY1007.com , www.Y102FM.com , www.TheFox106.com , www.Talk960.com,
or www.vvc.edu.
Links to all
of these Teachers "R" Heroes sites area available from the home page
of Victor Valley College. Go to http://www.vvc.edu/ and
click on the Teachers
"R" Heroes graphic near the top center of the page.
Nominations
may
also
be
sent
by
mail
to
Victor
Valley
College,
Teachers
are
Heroes,
18422
Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395, attention
Dr. Lori Kildal.
