From Honest Reflection to Lasting Change, with Naomi Fuentes, Odessa High School Teacher of the Year

Naomi Fuentes, Odessa High School Teacher of the Year, shares how her 20-year journey in education has been shaped by patience, vulnerability, servant leadership, and a deep commitment to helping students grow. Naomi reflects on how honest self-assessment and student feedback transformed her classroom practice. She discusses the power of asking students what they need, setting healthy boundaries around vulnerability, and scaffolding academic discourse so that every learner—especially those who are quiet or struggling—can take risks, speak up, and participate with confidence. She shares a hopeful and positive message that when educators are willing to reflect, adjust, and improve, students benefit because they deserve our best.Throughout the episode, Naomi stresses that kids deserve educators who are willing to look honestly at their practice and make meaningful adjustments. That kind of reflection is not always easy, and Naomi makes that clear when she describes asking students for feedback and realizing that she was “not prepared for real, honest talk.” But that uncomfortable honesty became a turning point. By listening to students, taking their responses seriously, and adjusting her instruction, she began to build a classroom culture rooted in trust, clarity, and shared growth. A central takeaway from this episode is that vulnerability means being real, professional, and willing to model growth. Naomi connects this mindset to practical classroom strategies like short surveys, quickwrites, and intentionally scaffolded discussions. These small but purposeful shifts helped more students in her classroom participate, take academic risks, and find their voices. As Naomi says, “Your kids deserve better, so be better, get better.” Visit AVID Open Access to learn more.