Yo Azama
National Language Teacher of the Year
2012
“Idolized by his students, revered by his colleagues, and respected by his administrators, what Yo Azama does for the promotion of language instruction in our district is phenomenal,” said a colleague.
Yo is an inspiration. “He is phenomenal to watch in the classroom, on video, and in professional development settings….Though his classroom environment is highly structured and his students serious learners, he is innovative, fun, and energetic.” He has been described as “magical” to watch. He is the “King” of guided practice activities and incorporating the latest and most user-friendly technologies in foreign language teaching. His students have created many video projects demonstrating cuisine, dance, karaoke, and animé. His dynamic teaching style creates such enthusiasm for his target language that students continue their study of the language and culture beyond the classroom in exchange trips and home stays abroad, district wide poetry contests, and in their subsequent university studies. His cook-off is not only a campus, but a community event covered by the local news media.
He is the “ultimate professional. “If it has to do with the advancement of language learning, he is there.” He has worked on the district Steering Committee and the development of unit and lesson plans based on the National Standards, the California State Framework, and the California World Language Content Standards. He is member of FLAMCO and ACTFL and the Monterey Bay Foreign Language Project and a highly sought after presenter.
Not only does he inspire his students and many other California teachers who benefit from his masterful teaching, his teaching is showcased in a WGBH/Annenburg Foundation video demonstrating best classroom practice. The video has been widely viewed and a source of inspiration for teachers across the nation.