2016-17 Above & Beyond winner: Dua Yang
Dua Yang knows what it takes to help her students feel safe, accepted and heard. As a paraeducator working with English language learners, and students within reading and math groups, she strives to provide ways to connect and provide opportunities for growth through a variety of learning strategies, such as building visuals and utilizing growth mindset language techniques.
In addition to her work as a paraeducator, Yang also lends her time and support toward creating the space for students to be heard and acknowledged through her work on the Culturally Responsive Teaching task force. Her dedicated time took her all the way to the White House for a reception with President Obama, recognizing her efforts to make a difference.
Yang goes the extra mile to connect with teachers, knowing that collaboration is key to helping students succeed. The staff members that nominated her feel she has an “ability to develop strong relationships” and is “very calm, approachable, caring” and has a “knowledgeable demeanor that students and adults really respond to.”