Emily Clark, having taught for 20 years at Diamond Bar High School, was selected as DBHS’ Teacher of the Year for 2016. Each year, teachers in the three academic divisions vote for a teacher to represent their division, and amongst the three, one is voted on by the entire staff.

Since September 1996, Clark has taught AP European History and IB History at DBHS. She has been a class advisor for the 2011 and 2015, as well as a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Provider for 10 years. On top of being an academic teacher, class advisor, and mentor, she also coached girls soccer during her first years at DBHS.

“The community of teachers, parents, and students is enormously unique at Diamond Bar, and it’s just a special place to be,” she said.

Clark majored in history at UC Davis and received her master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton, in U.S. and European History. Though she is known for teaching AP Euro, her initial focus was on U.S. history. It wasn’t until she lived in Hungary as an exchange teacher that she grew passionate about European history.

“I was always going to be a history teacher,” Clark said. “In 5th grade, I would teach my stuffed animals about history.”

Clark continues to serve as a BTSA support provider, mentoring new teachers and offering advice and ideas with them. Though she gives helpful tips, Clark learns from new teachers and their unique teaching style.

Clark said she attempts to make a personal connection with all her students. As AP Euro is typically a difficult subject for most sophomores, Clark understands her students’ struggles and sacrifices her lunch break to give additional help with the class. During AP testing season, Clark clears her schedule to give her students help before, during, and after school. She said she envisions her class to be a welcoming place for students and not a place students want to avoid.

To further help her students understand the subject, Clark implements unique projects to help the students engage in the topic. She has assigned projects such as Cold War Talk Shows, an Industrial Revolution Magazine, and Enlightenment Speed Dating to help students learn more outside of the textbook.