Denise Caldera, a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Corpus Christi ISD's Galvan Elementary, is heading into her 19th year in the classroom and has a clear philosophy about what makes a great start to the school year.Before stude nts ever walk through the door, Caldera begins the new year by reaching out to their families. CCISD's 2026 elementary teacher of the year shares how she gets her classroom ready for back to school"I'm excited to make those parent phone calls so that we can make that positive interaction with the parents before school starts so that they know that we are a team," Caldera said.The first day of school can bring a wave of emotions, and not just for students. Caldera said it is more common than people might think for parents to be the ones in tears."Just letting them know not to worry because like you said, you're a crier. I've seen a lot of parents cry instead of the kids, so just to make them feel comfortable and more at ease that their child is gonna be loved and taken care of," Caldera said.To help ease those first-day nerves, Caldera also prepares small comforts for her students."A little baggie of goldfish with the juice, yeah, just to say thank you for coming to kind of start getting them excited for showing up the next day, knowing that they're not gonna be here for 2 hours. They're gonna have to be here all day," Caldera said.Her classroom also features a calming corner, a dedicated space where students can take a moment, hug a stuffed bear and talk through their feelings. The corner has become such a fixture in her classroom that her students have even encouraged her to use it."It's really cute because when I was interviewed last year, my kids saw me really nervous and I was popping my fingers and I was walking back and forth, and they told me, 'Teacher, you need to take a moment. You need to go to the calming corner and hug the bear for 10 seconds,' and I'm like, oh, okay, roles are changing here," Caldera said.Caldera's approach to teaching is also shaped by her own experience as a student. She was born in the U.S. but attended school in Mexico before her family moved back to the U.S. in time for her to start middle school.She said the teachers who supported her during that transition helped shape the educator she is today. Now, she wants to provide that same support not only to her students and their families but also to fellow educators."You know, the teacher turnover is really high; teachers leave in the first 5 years because most of the time they don't feel supported, so I wanna be that person to not only help my families and my students but help my profession in general," Caldera said.Caldera was named Corpus Christi ISD's 2026 District Elementary Teacher of the Year in recognition of her dedication to her students and the classroom.As she begins another school year, Caldera said one of her goals is for students to leave her classroom wanting to continue learning, confident in their abilities and comfortable using their voices."Just so that they know that they are capable of achieving any goal that they set their minds to, that they are loved and cared for, because I think that if a child knows that they're cared for and valued, the learning will take place," Caldera said. ...read more read less