LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Christa Noetzel was nominated by her principal, Wendy Kerr.

Christa's professional spirit is coupled with a “get things done” attitude; which makes her a great leader in any educational environment.  As an instructional coach in FUESD, Christa quickly earned a reputation as a model practitioner of sound, researched-based instructional strategies who led her grade level team to success. Her skill as a teaching practitioner, coupled with her uncanny ability to get adults to focus on achieving a singular goal together, made her a valuable asset to both the students and the staff members she led.

"It is an honor to nominate Mrs. Christa Noetzel as a candidate for the LifeChanger Award," Kerr said. "It is my belief that Christa is one of the most talented and versatile educational teacher leaders I have met in my twenty years in education."

Christa is utterly committed to helping her students succeed, even when she is taking time off of work. She says that her greatest joy is to spend her 'off time' investigating the latest information in STEM, as well as what will ignite the passion spark for the students she serves. She spent an entire summer designing and building a STEM lab for students to engage with in 2016-17. Within a year, she built relationships with all 600+ students. On any given day she could be found in the lab on her lunch break working with students who chose to spend their free time studying with their favorite teacher. Rather than punishing students for making poor choices, Ms. Noetzel has teachers send students to the lab so she can counsel them and offer opportunites for them to turn their "mistakes" into time for innovation. As a result, her school saw a drop in disciplinary issues last year. Meanwhile, many students who are typically less engaged in school uncovered their passion for learning in STEM education.

Perhaps Christa's greatest attribute is her ability to unite people and paint a picture of what is most important—student learning. She is a consummate team builder who excels at bringing people together and getting them excited about working towards a common goal. She thrives in any challenging environment due to her ability to listen closely to others and work harder than anyone else. She puts student learning and their hearts at the center of everything she does.

Christa is a skilled and experienced professional developer. Currently, she is completing the CA Administration Credential and has dreams of advancing her leadership skills so she can impact students on a greater scale.

"Mrs. Noetzel is an incredible asset to the teachers and administrators across our district.  She is a committed educator and an extremely hard worker who has earned the respect of students, parents, teachers, colleagues, and district leaders alike throughout her 18-year career." Kerr said. "I recommend her without reservation and I know that Christa is an outstanding candidate."