Kailua-Kona resident Amoreena Nestman decided at age 37 to follow her passion and not let life pass her by.
Realizing some dreams don’t have expiration dates, Nestman went back to school to pursue a career in elementary education — a rigorous two-year task made possible by the encouragement of her friends, family and the community.
Since second grade, Nestman had wanted to be a teacher. Back then, she was in a mixed grade-level classroom and remembers the tremendous pride she, as one of the older kids, felt helping her peers.
Throughout her life, Nestman said she has been inspired by, and had the privilege to work alongside, numerous phenomenal instructors, including now as a second grade teacher at Kealakehe Elementary School. Still, she never expected to be selected as one of best.
Nestman, who has only been teaching full-time for three years, was selected as the Hawaii District’s Teacher of Year. She is among the seven teachers who will be honored Friday by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and DOE Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe during a special program at Washington Place in Honolulu.
As District Teacher of the Year, Nestman will receive a monetary award from The Polynesian Cultural Center, a gas card from Aloha Petroleum and gifts of instructional software from SMART Technologies. She’s also in the running for the State Teacher of Year, which will be announced Friday.
According to the DOE, the Hawaii Automobile Dealers’ Association will award the State Teacher of the Year with a free one-year lease on a new car.
“I feel incredibly blessed to be selected, but also to have such an amazing ohana of people who never let me forget my dreams,” said Nestman, a 1990 Konawaena High School alumna. “This honor doesn’t belong solely to me. It belongs to everyone. It’s also a chance to bring positive attention to the teachers, staff and school. I feel like I’m a product of an amazing environment and culture.”
Nestman described Kealakehe Elementary as a school where warmness and openness exudes from the passionate, dedicated, supportive staff. She said everyone pushes themselves as much as they push their students. Part of the school’s Instruction Leadership Team, she has seen administrators, coaches and grade level representatives often unite to reach common goals.
Nestman said she was “surprised and humbled” when asked at the end of last school year to accept Principal Nancy Matsukawa’s nomination. Mastukawa could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Prior to getting a teaching certificate from Western Governors University, an accredited online university, Nestman worked part time for eight years for the Department of Education as a reading tutor and a English Language Learners Program coordinator.
Before that, Nestman, who has a psychology degree, said she did social work for about three years, but even then, wanted to reach more children. However, being the mother of three children, Nestman also knew teaching was a demanding and time-consuming profession that often meant working before and after school, as well as on the weekends. She witnessed the “selfless giving” of teachers and wanted to make sure the timing was right. So she waited until her youngest was 1 year old to go back to school. By then, she knew the benefits would outweigh the sacrifices.
“I knew my heart wouldn’t last until my dream was fulfilled,” she added.
For Nestman, great teachers give their students a sense of who they are and who they might become by unlocking their energies, imaginations and passions. In the classroom, Nestman said she tries to empower her students, helping them believe in themselves and their abilities. With that confidence and inner belief, academic improvements and success often follow, she added.
“Never be afraid to pursue a dream or make time to do something for yourself,” she said. “It’s never too late, and it’s so important.”
