Bergen County Teacher Of Year Chosen By State Of NJ

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Teachers rise early, work on their feet, and change lives. This week, the state of New Jersey chose a Teacher of the Year in each county to honor.

Tomas Villa, a science teacher, is the Bergen County awardee this year, the state said on Monday.

Villa teaches science at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, in the Northern Valley Regional High School District.

The district serves high school students from Closter, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan.

According to the state, Villa is is certified in both chemistry and special education, "preparation that supports his work with a diverse student population."

The state said that Villa, who's been teaching for 15 years, has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Ramapo College of New Jersey and a master's degree in educational leadership from Montclair State University.

He teaches all levels of chemistry, including honors and special education.

He also, created RadiantSims.com, a platform that hosts more than 80 custom science simulations used thousands of times internationally as free formative assessment tools.

Villa also helped develop a districtwide "Reflection and Revision" assessment policy that encourages students to adopt a growth mindset when they encounter setbacks. He presents at state conferences.

"Tomas is defined by his commitment to making chemistry accessible and meaningful, inspiring colleagues, sharing open-source resources, and removing barriers that can prevent effective teaching from reaching every student," the state said.

Learn more about Villa here.