After Sage Creek’s James Fieberg was named Carlsbad School District’s 2017 teacher of the year, he qualified to apply to be San Diego County’s 2018 teacher of the year.

This formal application consisted of eight essays and a 30-minute interview. The written portion made up 23 pages when all was said and, done and accounted for 60 percent of his score based on a rubric. Then, Fieberg was asked eight questions that focused on his connections with students and impact that made up the remaining 40 percent of his score.

Out of the 43 applicants this year, only five will be named San Diego county’s teacher of the year. The finalists will qualify to run for one of California State’s five teacher of the year awards in 2018. Fieberg will not find out if he has been selected as one of the five San Diego County teachers of the year until September 16, when COX will put on a gala commemorating all of the participants.

Now that Fieberg has completed the entire application and interview, it is a waiting game for four months until he finds out if this journey ends at the district level or has a chance to move onto the State level.

“The Teacher of the Year Experience [has] been amazing in the fact that I was nominated by my peers. Then after being awarded the District Teacher of the Year, I needed to really reflect on all my accomplishments over the past 19 years in education.  It has been a very humbling experience by being recognized by an amazing group of educators at Sage Creek and in Carlsbad,” Fieberg summarized.