'Above and beyond': Orange County Schools awards beginning teacher of the year

Layla Allen, a teacher at Cedar Ridge High School, received the Orange County Schools' Beginning Teacher of the Year Award last week. 

Allen graduated from North Carolina State University in 2023. In August of the same year, she began teaching earth science at Cedar Ridge full-time. 

This year, Allen received her teaching certification for English as a Second Language and began teaching in the school's ESL program, which was designed to incorporate accessible learning opportunities for students without strong English skills within the standard curriculum.

School health technician Jennifer Gomez-Valdez said she met Allen when Gomez-Valdez served as a substitute teacher in her classroom last year. Gomez-Valdez said Allen goes above and beyond for her Spanish-speaking students. 

“She really tries to understand and meet the kids where they're at,” Gomez-Valdez said.

As a part of the ESL program, Allen began teaching shelter classes, which are classes designed to group ESL students with similar language skills so teachers can more effectively adjust the classroom to teach specific subjects. 

“We have a bunch of kids that come here,” Sandra Botero, an ESL teacher at Cedar Ridge and Allen's colleague said.  “They don't have any English [proficiency], so the idea is that Ms. Allen is testing them and their knowledge of the science that she's teaching, not necessarily the language that they don't have [proficiency in].”

Before Allen gained her ESL certification, Botero sat in on her classes to aid with language needs.

“It never even crossed my mind once that it was her first actual year formally teaching,” Botero Palacio said.

Allen said she loves teaching at Orange County Schools for the community and connection. 

“That's another reason why I love Orange County, is because this is a smaller community, so you get to really see students connect with each other, and I get to connect with families —  it's very close-knit,” Allen said.

Botero said Allen's desire for community is apparent. Providing snacks students request, translating course materials and hosting students in the classroom for lunch are just a few of the ways Allen connects with her students.

“For my multilingual learners, I have a lot of stuff translated, but I also use a lot of visuals, hands-on activities, models, etc. — things that communicate without using English directly,” Allen wrote. 

Allen said she saw how technologies such as phones were isolating her students. She said this drove her decision to collect phones during class, which she says has increased interpersonal connection among students.

Botero said Allen has created a safe classroom environment for her students. 

“We need lots and lots more teachers like Ms. Allen,” Botero said.

 Allen said, like Isaac Newton said, she believes she stands on the shoulders of giants and that she would be nowhere close to where she is without other teachers who have helped her along the way. 

“I have only been able to get to where I am because of all the people who have helped me,” Allen said.

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