Helix Charter High School has a pair of teachers who were singled out for their achievements recently.

Angelique Gianas, an English teacher, was selected as San Diego CUE’s “Innovative Teacher of the Year”.

She brought a creative way to utilize narrative video games as texts in her class. She believes that video games can be studied in the classroom in the same way we read and study novels. The video games are highly engaging, visual texts that allow students to learn critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills through a medium that they are familiar with. She mostly focuses on making her students create a love for learning, discussion, and critical thinking. She feels successful if students leave the classroom with curiosity, passion, and a desire to know more about the topics they cover.

According to Gianas, “This came as a huge surprise! I have always worked to bring innovative practices into the classroom and am thankful to be recognized for it. I love to try new things in my classroom to help my students explore the power of literature and storytelling. I hope to continue teaching with video games and introducing other teachers to the benefits of using video games in their classroom to engage their students.”

San Diego State University (SDSU) highlighted alumni Kevin Myron, who is a science teacher at Helix Charter.

When Myron was at SDSU, the ecology lab was heavily based on field experiences, data collection, and data analysis. He aims to provide similar experiences in his own classes.

For example, this spring, three periods of students in his Earth Science course collected and cataloged more than 600 pieces of trash located around campus. Nearly 90% of this trash was plastic. This data supported our class investigation into what microplastics are, how humans contribute to this issue, and how people can mitigate the impacts of plastic on the environment.

“At Helix, there is a thriving Environmental Club for students interested in advocacy, volunteer work, and community building with like-minded peers who care about the environment,” said Myron. “Also, I would encourage students to take my AP Environmental Science (APES) course in their 11th or 12th-grade year. This course is designed for all students regardless of prior experiences in AP courses. If you care about the environment, are interested in learning environmental concepts and solutions, and excited by fieldwork, then APES is the class for you and you will succeed!”

Myron is working professionally to expand his own knowledge of sustainability and environmental science.

He recently passed the LEED Green Associate Credential and started a Master of Science in Engineering, Sustainability, and Health at the University of San Diego. Also, he continuously concentrates on sustainability as a part of the Sustainability Task Force at Helix and was recently appointed to the statewide California Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs) PK–12 Teacher Workgroup.

As a teacher, Myron hopes to build the AP Environmental Science course into a project-based experience in which students can directly apply concepts learned to the built environment around them.