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Salem Business Journal

Oregon’s 2023 Teacher of the Year has been named Rosa Floyd of Woodburn.

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Rosa’s heart for her students has transcended her classroom and has had a positive impact on her Woodburn community.

See a Need, Fill a Need

Rosa’s path to teaching was a little more winding than usual. After moving to Hillsboro from Guadalajara, Mexico, Rosa quickly found a calling: supporting the community’s Spanish-speaking migrant families through education. So she traded her architecture degree for a teaching license and has dedicated the past twenty years to teaching dual-immersion kindergarten and much more. That’s because Rosa teaches more than just languages.

Rosa’s students are 86% Latino, and her holistic teaching style combines language classes with celebrations of culture and heritage. By contextualizing the language, she fosters pride and community connection in her students and their families, which she hopes will create unity through understanding.

“This learning and appreciation for different cultures and traditions helps our students live together and understand other people.”