Kolb Middle School math teacher, “Mr. H” earns finalist for Educator of the Year

Vinh Ho, a math teacher at Rialto Unified School District’s Kolb Middle School, was recently selected as a finalist for the 2021-2022 “Educator of the Year” award by the California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) for Region 10.

“Mr. H,” as he is known on campus, is one of a handful of finalists for the award in Region 10, which comprises Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, & Mono Counties. The finalists will be honored with a drive-thru celebration on December 11, 2021, at Vista Heights Middle School in Moreno Valley. The winner of Region 10 will be selected to compete at the State level at the California League of Middle Schools Conference on March 3-5, 2022.

Mr. H teaches eighth-grade math and Integrated Math I. He began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District in 2016, first at Rialto High School and then moved to Kolb Middle School in 2018. He served as the seventh and eighth grade Math Department Chair at Kolb Middle School from 2019-2020 and then 2021-2022 school years. 

“It is a great honor to be nominated and be selected as the ‘Educator of the Year’ finalist,” Mr. H stated. “I’m humbled to represent our school and District for this award. I’m grateful to work at Rialto USD and especially at Kolb Middle School. This award makes me feel all my hard work is recognized and has an impact. It is a highlight and an accomplishment of my teaching mission. It reinforces my belief in investing in students’ learning and success.”

Mr. H is known for his ability to make math accessible for all students through innovative lessons and his use of technology, according to Kolb Middle School Principal Armando Urteaga, who nominated Mr. H for the honor.

“He infuses vibrant instructional strategies and his expertise with technology motivates his students to learn, challenges them to think, and makes class fun,” Principal Urteaga said. “Mr. H is a teacher-leader who builds strong relationships with his students. He is an integral part of our school instructional leadership with his transformative leadership in mathematics.”

Mr. H said he realizes many students walk into the classroom with a bias for or against math. He works to shatter those expectations and encourage students to make mistakes and grow as they learn. 

“I consider myself a math-perception flipper,” Mr. H replied. “Every day I show my students that not only can they do math, but it is actually fun and easy. For the first time in their lives, some of my students believe they can do math. Math is no longer a number in a text box.”

Asked what he is most proud of as an educator, Mr. H turned the spotlight on his students. Their enthusiasm makes him excited to teach, he responded. 

“I’m proud to have a wonderful group of students who work hard, are unafraid to try their best and think outside the box,” replied the award-winning educator. “Their eagerness to learn gives me the motivation to do my best to make math fun, interesting, and useful. As (RUSD Superintendent) Dr. Cuauhtémoc Avila once said, ‘learning is full of fun and excitement.’ I’m doing my best to show my students that very phrase. I try to make them excited to come to class and eager to know what we will learn today.”