Victor Gomez - ATHS Alumnus
El maestro Víctor Gómez is a bilingual science educator currently serving the students and community of Leyden High School District #212 and a proud alumnus of Addison Trail High School; 2012. Mr. Gomez is an advocate for bilingual education and a proponent of culturally relevant practices for multilingual students.
Throughout his six year career, he has worked to create equitable opportunities, curricula, and spaces for multilingual learners. He has done this by being at the forefront of the proposal and development of the bilingual program where he teaches in order to address the linguistic and cultural needs of a growing diverse population of students. He was instrumental in launching the school's first bilingual course, Bilingual Chemistry.
His philosophy of education challenges deficit perspectives, uplifts bilingualism, and dismantles language barriers by showing students to use their full linguistic resources to co-develop languages. As the Illinois teacher of the year, he plans to fiercely advocate for bilingual education by uplifting students' cultural and linguistic assets as valuable and necessary parts of our educational institutions
Victor wishes to recognize two individuals who shaped his path as an educator. Edgar Dorado, a remarkable bilingual STEM teacher, mentored him before he even entered the profession. Edgar took the time to walk him through WIDA standards and bilingual education best practices, ensuring he was fully prepared to discuss instructional strategies, language supports, and how to meet the needs of bilingual students in STEM classrooms. His guidance provided the confidence and foundation Victor needed to begin his teaching career.
Victor also honors Lucy Almanza-Fernandez, an inspiring bilingual educator whose dedication to multilingual learners left a lasting impact. Her compassionate, student-centered approach demonstrated the power of creating classrooms where every learner feels valued and supported. She modeled how to see linguistic diversity as an asset, and many of her practices continue to influence Victor’s own teaching of multilingual learners today.
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