Molly Alles, a 4th grade teacher at Pacific Union School, has been named Humboldt County Teacher of the Year.  Alles was honored by the Humboldt County Board of Education during its meeting on Wednesday afternoon, September 13, at the Humboldt County Office of Education in Eureka.

“Congratulations to Molly Alles for her selection as Humboldt County Teacher of the Year!” said Dr. Chris Hartley, Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools. “Ms. Alles exemplifies a caring and innovative teacher that maintains high expectations for students, while providing relevant and engaging learning experiences for all her students.”         

In her thoughts about teaching, Alles said, “My number one goal is to engage my learners by gaining their interest and thinking about it from the student’s perspective …What are the ways I can get their brains firing and ready for this information? … It’s not about teaching at them, it’s about teaching with them.”

Alles has been teaching at Pacific Union Elementary School for 8 years, primarily in 4th grade, Art, and Science. In addition, she facilitates the Science Club, coaches cross-country, and directs the school play every year. Prior to coming to Pacific Union, she taught 4 years in various schools teaching several grade levels. An outdoor enthusiast, Alles has been an instructor for the Redwood Environmental Education Fair (REEF) since 2006. You can also find Alles helping her colleagues each summer as a Teacher Consultant/Facilitator for the Redwood Writing Project Summer Institute since 2010.

Alles grew up in Weaverville, but considers herself a local, spending many summers and school holidays with family here in Humboldt. She graduated from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education/Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Biological Sciences.

As Humboldt County Teacher of the Year, Molly Alles will represent the county as its nominee for 2017-18 California Teacher of the Year.  The California Department of Education is expected to announce its selections for State Teacher of the Year in November.