- February 7, 2025
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Each week the Port Orange Observer will highlight a teacher nominated for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year.
Sweetwater Elementary School Second Grade/Primary Teacher Joseph Sita, who was nominated for the honor, has been at Sweetwater for eight years.
Volusia County public schools each selected a Teacher of the Year in order to vie for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year. This year, 71 winners were chosen by their peers. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Jason Kester, who teaches culinary arts at Mainland High.
The 2019 district Teacher of the Year winner will be announced on Friday, Jan. 12, and will be nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
1. How do you feel to be nominated?
When I was first nominated I was shocked but very honored to be nominated by my peers. Sweetwater has amazing teachers and to be chosen as a choice for Teacher of the Year was very overwhelming but also exciting at the same time.
2. Why did you want to be a teacher?
I became a teacher to inspire young students and to have them find a love for learning like I did when I was younger. I had so many teachers make positive impacts on my life and I am extremely grateful for them. I feel like it is my turn to do the same thing. I want to be that person that they always remember and hope to inspire them to become teachers to do the same thing for their students.
3. What is the most challenging part of teaching?
The most challenging part about teaching is staying positive. There are so many aspects of the education world that society has to say. We as teachers have to not listen to what society says and not get caught up in the discussion, but rather stay focused at our task at hand and teach our students. Help them become the great person that they are destined to be. If we do not let anything persuade our beliefs on teaching and have one goal in mind, then we have done our job.
4. What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
I think the most rewarding thing about teaching is seeing your students truly understand what you are teaching that they never understood before. The look on their faces is what gets teachers excited about teaching. The joy the students have coming to school and the happiness they have when walking in the classroom is what is also rewarding to me as an educator.
5. If you could tell students one thing what would it be?
If I could tell the students on thing, it would be to tell them that they need to be authentic. According to the dictionary, the definition of authentic means can be accepted as true, reliable, trustworthy, genuine and real. Students need to be the real person that they are. They do need to be anything else but themselves. They need to find who they are and what they love and they need to pursue that, no matter what grade or how hold you are.
