laes Nobel Educators of the Year

NSHSS is pleased to highlight our 2013 Claes Nobel Educators of the Year, presented to ten exemplary educators who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to preparing students for success in college and in life. These ten educators are among NSHSS’s student-nominated Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction program that recognizes educators who model best practices in teaching, are a positive influence for students and peers, and who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in education, as well as community engagement. Since the inception of the Educators of Distinction program in 2004, NSHSS has recognized more than 38,000 educators worldwide. 

Mr. Glenn Yamasaki
STEM Teacher, Grade 9-12
Warren High School, Downey, CA

Adding to an array of accolades collected over the years, Mr. Yamasaki received the California Project Lead the Way Teacher of the Year Award and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Coaches Award in 2013. Mr. Yamasaki assists in leading student organizations. He and his students have been awarded 1^st place in the Nevada VEX Robotics Winter Competition, 1^st place in the Stratasys Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge, and more. Mr. Yamasaki is also a Robotics Advisor and a Board of Directors Member for the Columbia Memorial Space Center. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Northrop University.

As a certified Project Lead the Way educator, a STEM instructor for all four grade levels of Warren High, and a club advisor, Mr. Yamasaki’s educational ideals hold true throughout. He strives to assist students in relating to the curriculum through personal connections. He explains, “My experience is that students understand best when they can personalize the material. The main objective is to help students relate to what they already know and then build upon that foundation.” Though Mr. Yamasaki’s students have been successful in college-level engineering courses and often achieve above the required level of proficiency in STEM sections of standardized tests, he teaches them to think beyond the realms of engineering. Mr. Yamasaki believes that once his students learn to analyze and think critically and independently, they are enabled to reach solutions to problems in both engineering and their daily lives.

Mr. Yamasaki’s nominating student writes, “I have known this teacher for three years, and every one of them has been a new experience. He has helped guide me and all students he comes in contact with. He is one of the most reasonable teachers at our campus. In every engineering and physics class he teaches, he broadens our minds and teaches us to think logically. He does so much for me and all of his students, but rarely gets thanked or appreciated for it. He has set me on a track for a great career in engineering, and he cannot be thanked enough.”