Family: Wife, Erin Potter; son, Carson Potter; daughter, Elle Potter; stepson, Degan Butler; stepdaughter, Brynna Butler.

School: Denair High School

Subject taught: Science.

Experience and education: I have degrees from Merced College, Grand Canyon University and Stanislaus State. I was in the U.S. Air Force, worked as dispatcher for the Turlock Police Department and spent the past four years as a paraeducator for Denair Unified.

What attracted you to Denair? I was born and raised in Denair. After I separated from the military, I wanted to pursue a career in service.  While studying to take my nursing boards, I began working as a 1 on 1 paraeducator at Denair Middle School and absolutely loved my Job.  I realized that a career in education and being a part of Denair Unified was the path I wanted to take. I have coached Denair Lions Youth Football and several Denair Middle School sports.  I was the vice president of the Denair High School Sports Boosters for two years.  I am committed to the Denair Unified School district and the community.

What most inspires you about teaching? The most inspiring thing about teaching for me is when students enjoy the class and smile while they learn. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year?  Completing our learning pathway and working in the lab to give the students engaging activities that complement the classroom lessons. Labs will be the most challenging and rewarding mission this year. 

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? Presentations and student engagement.  I want the students to ask questions. I prefer active engagement versus passive engagement in the material.  

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember that school, and especially science, is fun.  

How can parents support what you do? Contact me with any questions they have. I do not give homework. We complete all our assignments in class so I can be there to assist them with any questions.  The best way that parents can support what I do is to talk with their child during dinner, ask them about science or anything else. Take the time they would be doing homework and play a game as a family or just visit with them and spend time with them.  

What would surprise people about your job? How much time is spent outside the classroom and outside the workday preparing. Not because I have to, but because I want to. 

What do you do for fun?  I love spending time with my family. I enjoy hiking and backpacking, and I also like to go on long motorcycle rides. 

Family: Husband, Ty; son, Nolan

School: All sites

Job: School psychologist

Experience and education: I completed my undergraduate degree through Fresno Pacific and have a degree in early childhood development. I received my master’s from Brandman University in educational psychology. I worked in a previous district for seven years.  

What attracted you to Denair? I moved to Denair in 2019 and have very much enjoyed living here. I think it is important to be able to give back to the community and be a part of where you live.

What most inspires you about being a school psychologist? Being able to make a difference in students’ lives and being a part of a team that can get them the support and services they may need.  

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? This year, I am taking on new roles as a school psychologist that are a bit different than what the past seven years have looked like for me, but a challenge is good, and it is important to have continuous learning in the field.  

What is your favorite tool or activity to use with students? Whenever I meet with students for the first time, I enjoy doing an interview that really helps me capture the student from their point of view. It helps me to understand why learning may be difficult or why they are feeling a certain way about school. It is also a fun way to learn better about their interests, what they enjoy about themselves and what they feel their strengths are.

What do you want your students to remember? That I was someone they could confide in and someone who helped them feel successful at school whether academically, behaviorally or social emotionally. 

How can parents support what you do? Home and school communication are always a vital part of a student’s success. When parents can share pieces to the puzzle that we may not see or know about, that helps us implement important strategies at school to better help students succeed.  

What would surprise people about your job? School psychologists are extremely multi-faceted and wear many different hats on any given day.

What do you do for fun? Keeping up with my toddler, working out, being outside, watching sports, and I enjoy going to comedy shows and/or concerts. 

Family: I come from a single-parent family consisting of my mother myself and my three younger siblings. Although we don’t live near each other currently, we are still quite close and make regular trips to visit each other.

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: Seventh-grade world history and eighth-grade U.S. history

Experience and education: I graduated from CSU Stanislaus with a bachelor’s in social science. I am still currently in school, though I have transferred to Teachers College of San Joaquin for the IMPACT program to receive my credential. Prior to this position, I substitute taught for a little under two years, and before that I spent some time at the high school level as an instructional aide.

What attracted you to Denair? The thing that attracted me to Denair was primarily the town’s size. It felt very familiar to me having lived in Gustine, which is another small town not too far away. I also have been really inspired by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the staff as well as their mission for our students.

What most inspires you about teaching? It has always been watching my students finally get that “Ah-ha” moment after seeing them struggle with completing a topic. I absolutely love to see their face when they really begin to “get it.”

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? A challenge I am looking forward to is probably also my biggest concern. I’m excited to figure out how to create a manageable and conducive classroom environment for my students (especially the big classes).

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool and activities are group/class discussions. I am for sure somewhat of a chatterbox, and I know some of my students are, too. I feel these discussions give us the opportunity to get out those words we’ve been holding in, in a productive and positive way.

What do you want your students to remember? I’d like students to remember the skills they will learn in my class, so that the rest of the educational career runs that much smoother for them.

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support what I do by being as involved as possible in their child’s education. Talk to their child about their school day, use the apps and website provided to check in on their progress, and reach out to their teachers when you have any questions or concerns. 

What would surprise people about your job? Definitely not sitting as much as I remember teachers were.

What do you do for fun? I enjoy riding my motorcycle, playing video games, hanging out with my friends and family, and plenty of trips out of town.

Family: My mom, Shelley Francesconi; my dad, Bruce Ochoa; my brother, Cory Ochoa; and my two nephews, Dean and Alex.

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Second grade

Experience and education: I received my AA degree from Merced College in arts and humanities, my bachelor’s degree from Stan State in English and my teaching credential from Humphreys University. I have worked as a substitute teacher for seven years and I was a student teacher last year at DECA. 

What attracted you to Denair? My mom, Shelley Francesconi, worked at DECA for 17 years as an attendance secretary before retiring in 2021. When I began working as a substitute teacher at DECA, I loved the community, and how helpful and kind everyone was. 

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspires me most about teaching is getting to make a positive impact on my students’ lives. I look forward to helping my students discover their strengths and reach their full potential. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? This year I look forward to having my own classroom. As a substitute teacher, I visited many different classrooms, so this year I’m excited to take on the responsibility of managing my own classroom and the challenges that come with that. 

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? Think-Pair-Shares. I love giving my students time to discuss with their peers to help develop their ideas.

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember the fun they had while learning. I hope I am able to help my students foster a love of learning in the classroom, so they look forward to coming to school. 

How can parents support what you do? The best way parents can support me is by reaching out with any questions or concerns so we can work together toward the common goal of a successful school year! 

What would surprise people about your job? With so many different personalities in the classroom, no two days are exactly the same. 

What do you do for fun? In my free time, I like to go to the gym and stay active. For fun, I like to play video games, watch TV and read books.