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In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with California 2026 Teacher of the Year Chrizia Dela Rosa to explore a journey of belonging, resilience, and the transformative power of education.
After immigrating to the United States from the Philippines at age six without speaking English, Chrizia struggled to find her place in school. Everything changed when a teacher helped her feel valued, understood, and capable of thriving.
Years later, those experiences would shape the educator she would become.
In this conversation, Chrizia reflects on her path from English learner to award-winning educator, the importance of relationships in the classroom, and the practices she uses to help students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn. She also shares how mindfulness, social-emotional learning, and human intelligence transformed both her teaching and her life.
At the heart of her story is a powerful reminder: one caring educator can change the trajectory of a student’s life.
Here are some of the best moments from the episode:
- Meet Chrizia Dela Rosa: California Teacher of the Year
- The Immigrant Experience: Struggling to Assimilate
- Basketball as a Second Language
- How Miss Tran Created Real Classroom Belonging
- Facing the Pivot: Moving to a New Community
- Discovering the Addictive Magic of Teaching
- Teach for America, Miami, & First-Year Burnout
- Why Teacher Prep Programs Set Educators Up to Fail
Follow “A Work of Heart” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if it resonated, take 30 seconds to rate and review. It helps more educators find these conversations and reminds the algorithm that teachers matter.
