Juliana Urtubey, an elementary special education teacher in Las Vegas, has been named the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. Urtubey, an educator for 11 years, co-teaches prekindergarten through 5th grade at Kermit R. Booker, Sr. Innovative Elementary School, a Title I school.
Urtubey, born in Colombia, is only the third special education instructor to win this national honor in the past three decades. She is also the first teacher from Nevada and the first Latina since 2005 to receive the award.
Urtubey, a bilingual teacher, immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia at the age of five. Urtubey says her personal background helps her connect with her students, many of whom are learning English as a second language and also come from immigrant households. Latino students make up the majority of children enrolled in the Clark County School District.
As a special education teacher, Urtubey looks at each child and who they are individually, designing lessons to match their individual academic, emotional and behavioral needs. She describes her approach to teaching as holistic — taking into account their interests, hobbies, family structure and community and using that to determine what they will need and how to find their strengths. Urtubey credits the importance of family engagement with shaping her teaching philosophy.
Urtubey says her students inspire her because the are so resilient. She works to connect their self esteem to their learning and work at the pace that they need. It’s about giving them the tools and the learning environment every single student needs.
As a result of her efforts to beautify schools and unify the community through murals and gardens, Urtubey received the nickname “Ms. Earth.” Prior to teaching at Kermit R. Booker, Sr. Innovative Elementary School, she taught at at Crestwood Elementary School. Seven years ago she started a community garden at Crestwood using a bare patch of grass and a portion of the school building.
Now it is an outdoor classroom with flowers, fruit trees, vegetables and more than a dozen murals. Students formed a garden club called “Garden Gnomies” to take care of the garden and run a mini farmer’s market. She is planning on building a similar garden at her current school as well.
The selection committee said in a statement, “Juliana is a dedicated educator who has fostered growth in her students and a greater connection with her community through her innovative school garden program. She aims to lift up others, a true example of a teacher with an asset mindset who aims to help people see their own strengths. Juliana is also an expert in differentiating teaching practices for diverse student backgrounds and needs. A thoughtful and authentic advocate for the students and community she serves, Juliana has the expertise, passion and heart to serve as the 2021 National Teacher of the Year.”
