Mr. McNally is in his first year of teaching, and already he is beloved by students, not only those in his History and Link Crew classes, but by many others as well.

While this is McNally’s first year as a full-time teacher at CHS, it is not exactly his first year here. For the last several years, he has been a mainstay on campus as a super substitute teacher, and as support for the AVID program. Students saw him in class, at club meetings, out of DC Lane supporting fundraisers, and at football tailgates. He was already everywhere!

Now, McNally has his hands full with his own classes, featuring students ranging from sophomores to seniors. It is a lot of work managing all subjects, “but I enjoy the work” he says. He added that working here is about more than just being a teacher, but about showing he loves what he does.

Some fun facts about McNally: he has 8 brothers and used to live right down the street from CHS. “But I think that’s a lot of our staff members here,” he said, dismissing the novelty of being local. He was also a boxer for 10 years, and could have gone pro.

His hobbies include cooking. Cooking got him through college, he shared. Even though he switched gears and pursued education, he has not left his culinary skills in the past.

For his first year McNally has done a lot, not only for his classes, but for the CHS community. He’s done amazing work and done it with love and excitement.

Many teachers have a clear vision from an early age of wanting to become a teacher. For Mr. Salazar, however, the journey to the classroom was anything but straightforward. It’s a story that winds through the ambitions of law schools, an unexpected stint teaching English in Japan, and a diverse career in business, before finally landing in a role he never initially considered. 

It all began after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in 2000, when going into law seemed like the clear choice. Yet fate had other plans. A unique opportunity arose to teach English in Japan shortly after graduation. This half-year experience, at first, seemed like a detour. 

Upon returning to the US, the allure of the business world took hold. Which lead to acquisition of licenses, and investment banking. While initially fulfilling this corporate trajectory led to burnout. 

It wasn’t until 2016 that he made a pivotal decision: to pursue a Masters Degree in Education, obtain a teaching credential and embrace the calling of a social science teacher. Now in his 10th year, Mr. Salazar’s unconventional path has led to a fulfilling career. 

Danny Salazar ‘s most cherished aspect of education is witnessing the profound transformation of students, from their initial years in high school through graduation. He loves watching them discover the best versions of themselves.

There are many amazing teachers here at Colton High School who deserve praise, but for me, even though I only had his class during my Freshman and Sophomore years, Mr. Baldwin has always been my favorite teacher.

Sean Baldwin is Colton High School’s ROP-GIS-Computer Mapping teacher. His classroom may seem intimidating with all those computers, but after just one class period with him, you’ll see his personality is one of the greatest comforting things in the classroom. Within the first week I was in his classroom, I came to see him as a warm, funny, kind-hearted man who is always very interested in getting to know his students.

My favorite thing about Mr. Baldwin is how you can never run out of conversations with him. He has so many stories to tell, and is a great listener, as well, who always seems to remember everything you tell him.

Seeing Mr. Baldwin in action in his class, you can really see his passion in what he does and his love for teaching. He always fights to better his students and get them interested in their work. He always helps and never leaves anyone confused about the work.

Mr. Baldwin is always willing to share what he has with students. One of my favorite memories about Mr. Baldwin was when he got a new 3D printer. He made little Minions, like in the movie Despicable Me, and passed them out to students. I still have my Minion from back in my Sophomore year.

Although I already finished my two years in his class, I will always remember Mr. Baldwin as one of Colton High School’s greatest teachers. I know I can always stop by and have a genuine conversation with him . . . and still learn a thing or two.

In Coach Martinez’s weight room class, I have learned something better and more valuable than anything I learned in math, English, or science. 

I learned discipline and how to be a man. 

I am a Sophomore and have been on the football team now for two years. The game is challenging, and we sometimes make mistakes. When our varsity team did something wrong, everyone had to be punished and learn from that mistake. It showed us how to truly be disciplined and learn from those mistakes. 

Sometimes when I ask questions to other teachers they confuse me, or just straight out tell me things I don’t understand, but when I ask Coach a question about weight lifting or football, he gives me tips I understand in ways that I can comprehend.

Coach also checks up on all our grades and tells us to get them up. If he sees a grade slip, he makes sure that we lock in and get it up. His coaching is also great on the field; he shows us how to do our drills in ways that always make sense. 

What I look for in a really great teacher is how they teach, how they help us overcome our mistakes, and how they teach us how to be grown up and disciplined. Only so many teachers do this, and Coach is one of them.

Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to recognize the teachers who make a difference or an impact on different students everyday. One of those teachers is Mrs. Kennedy, who teaches Algebra 2 and Honors Algebra 2. 

Mrs. K has been teaching at Colton High School for 23 years, and before that she taught elementary school for three years. Talking with her made it really clear that she is not just a teacher who gives lessons, but someone who truly cares about helping students grow and believe in themselves.

She shared that teaching is actually her second career. She originally considered going into nursing or teaching, and chose teaching because she wanted to help young people understand important skills, especially in math. Over time she worked to earn her math credential and became a high school math teacher.

One thing that really stood out about Mrs. K is how soft spoken and kind she is. She has a calm way of speaking that makes students feel comfortable asking questions. She is also very encouraging and often reminds students that they are capable of doing more than they think. 

During the interview we were talking about if I should take AP Pre-Calculus and I was hesitant, but she said “You can do this, don’t doubt yourself,” which really shows how she supports her students.

Her favorite part of teaching is watching students start to believe they can do math, even if they struggle at first. She also said she enjoys learning from students because they sometimes solve problems in ways she never expected. That shows she respects student thinking and sees learning as something shared.

Mrs. K also talked about how busy her life is outside of school, but she still puts a lot of effort into teaching every day. She believes students should take advantage of school because it is a free opportunity that can open many doors for the future.

But overall, Mrs. Kennedy stands out because of her kindness, patience, and encouragement. She shows that being a great teacher is not just about math, but about helping students believe in themselves.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and with that, I would like to thank Mr. Pérez. 

Not only is he the best Spanish teacher, but he is also a teacher with extensive knowledge of literature and great artists. Thanks to that, I was able to discover that reading can also be something beautiful—something that can reveal to us far more than just letters and words. 

This week, it is worth appreciating the number of ways he helps students. He helps expand and unleash their creativity through their projects. In addition to being a teacher who teaches Spanish, he also enjoys connecting with his students; he also has a great passion for writing. I also appreciate the opportunities he provides us to raise our grades, as well as the extra credit opportunities. He shows us how poems hold many meanings and are more than they appear to be; and how a short story can turn out to be more complex than it seems—much like animated films.

His dedication to his students is appreciated, as is the fact that he teaches us the art of history; for he does not merely teach us Spanish, but also introduces us to the history and customs of other Latin American countries.

I would also like to thank him for being the teacher who selected me as Student of the Month. 

And finally, he has shown us how Spanish is almost everywhere—if you just pay attention. He has taught us that everyone can learn Spanish if they want to and how Spanish can be an easy language. For this reason, I want to thank Mr. Pérez this week for everything he has done.

The teacher I most appreciate is Mr. Jesus Delgado. I had Mr Delgado for my Sophomore and Junior years. He is a really good teacher who taught his students well. 

Over those two years, he helped me understand science. He also helped me pass some of my other classes I was failing. He also helped me out a lot, not only with my homework, but also personal things. 

No matter when I had problems, Delgado always made me happy to be at school. He has been there since the first time I received an award, and now he will get to watch me graduate and move on into my next life. He has and had played an important role in my four years in high school. 

My friends and I only have good things to say about Mr. Delgado. One of his former students, Ashley Lopez, wanted to say, ”Thank you for always being the best teacher friend out there! We love you so very much, Mr. Delgado. \Hope to see you out there after high school.”

When you ask Mr. Delgado why he likes to teach high school students, he says, “The reason I teach is to help students understand what school can bring to your life.” 

Jamie Badillo is a vital part of CHS’s staff, especially for students just starting high school. She is a teacher that students respect and will remember long after they graduate.

Her classroom is both serious and energetic, though it’s not just the setup of the room that makes students feel welcome; it’s the lively and inviting aura that she brings to the space and to her students.

The thing that stands out the most about Badillo is both her teaching methods and the way she gives students every chance to understand what she teaches.

She provides students with tutoring classes every week where they can catch up with material they are missing, or just don’t understand–a touch not every other teacher at CHS offers. Even the way she lectures is lively and easy to understand. She makes sure to explain all her points in order for students to better grasp the topics.

Early in her career, she considered quitting because she tried too hard to make every student happy instead of focusing on academic growth. Now she gives rules to her students so that they stay on task while also giving some leeway.

She said she is most happy when students come up with their own brilliant ideas about a topic or a novel without needing much help. She believes the best quality an educator can have is a genuine desire to help students grow, not only academically, but also as a whole person.

Badillo says that her ultimate goal is for students to leave her class feeling intellectually challenged and valued. Her commitment to her job is rooted in genuine love for seeing students evolve and learn.