Teachers

All teachers can be reached through ParentSquare.

Mr Frias -- Social Studies

I am an AdVENTURE alumni (1st ever class to go through the complete program). I graduated from San Jose State University in 2022 and immediately enrolled in the masters in teaching program also at San Jose State with the goal of coming back to AdVENTURE to teach the subject that I am passionate about. When not at school, I enjoy building models, anime and spending time with friends and family.

Mr. Bermudez --Social Studies

Jason Anthony Bermudez was born in Santa Clara, California. After graduating high school, he attended Evergreen Valley College, then San Jose State University, where in 2009 he earned his bachelor's degree in History. In 2016, he decided to begin the journey of a lifelong learner as a teacher in the community he grew up in.
Mr. Bermudez demonstrates an exemplary commitment to the school, students, parents, and community through his humble personality and daily acts of service. His students have developed the virtue of civic duty by being involved in the community through trash clean ups and writing letters to local government officials.
Mr. Bermudez's teaching style is diverse, but is based on consistent data-informed practice. He is extremely adept at using technology to glean information that informs his teaching. These tailor-made assignments provide his students with opportunities to practice the skills they need to incrementally grow.
With the support of his friends, his family, and his colleagues, Mr. Bermudez has strived to help his students reach their academic goals and their utmost potential.

Mrs. Chin -- Science

Despite being a San Jose native, I have spent many years teaching overseas. I have experience in various curriculum from different countries including the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. I have a BS in Genetics and Plant Biology from UC Berkeley, MS in Education from National University and both Multiple Subject and Single Subject credentials. My specialization is in Biology. I am a strong advocate for use of technology as a learning tool in education and teaching students to become proactive, independent learners who think critically, socially, environmentally and globally. I am a family oriented person, so I spend much of my free time with my family attending swimming or Cub Scout events, catching a movie or even a Pokemon. I also enjoy a really great story whether it's on TV, a movie or in a book!
Supply wishlist

Ms. Garcia -- Science

Originally from Mexico City, I hold a BS in Biochemistry and a specialty in Biopharmaceutical Science From ULSA in Mexico. When I decided to become a teacher in 2008, I completed the SJSU teacher credentialing program. I am a founding AdVENTURE teacher, a Google Certified Educator and a PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator. I am a firm believer that Science education provides a strong foundation for students to develop the skills they will need to succeed in college and career. Students are intrinsically curious. Science feeds that curiosity and the desire to learn about the world helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the real-world. I teach to empower students to become creators of knowledge. I am also always looking for new ways to teach and make my content fun and exciting to the students. This spirit of improvement has provided me several very rewarding personal achievements as a published curriculum author for BetterLesson.com, NEA Master Teacher Mentor, PBS Digital Innovator All-Star, 2013 Globaloria Teacher of the Year, and 2014 SCCOE/TI STEM Teacher of the Year. When I am not teaching or planning lessons for my students I like to spend time with my children, often playing board games or finding new Pokemon to add to our collections.

Teaching Above The Test Blog

Mrs. Hogen-Esch -- Math

I received my B.A. in Liberal Studies at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and continued on to San Jose State University to obtain my Teaching Credential. Professionally I have completed the Faculty Academy for Mathematics Excellence (FAME), am a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), as well as the California Math Council (CMC). In 2019, I was graciously awarded the Oak Grove School District’s Vision Award for Quality Instruction. In 2020 and 2021, I worked with the Krause Center for Teacher Innovation to become state certified in Blended and Online Learning and earned my state certification as a Makerspace Coordinator.
My teaching experience began in 1998 working in preschools and after school learning environments. I held the role of Teacher, Mentor Teacher, and Site Director. I began working for OGSD in 2008 and have taught grades K through 2nd, and 5th through 8th.
I have always enjoyed working with children, watching them grow and discover their place in the world. Exploration, discovery and making sense of WHY are important factors in learning any discipline, but is especially true with mathematics. In my classroom I incorporate various teaching methods to help build an understanding of the content, and the curiosity to discover the connections to daily life.
The combination of technology, project based learning, and hands-on explorations AdVENTURE provides to its students aligns with my own teaching philosophy, and I am thrilled to be a part of an amazing collaborative learning community.

Mr. Marcoida -- 6th Grade Core

Mr. Marcoida began his career working with children at 15 years old, working for the City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services. After graduating from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, he was continuing with his pursuit of becoming a Recreation Specialist. He dreamed of having the ability to provide great community programs for youth at any Community Center that would have him. However, the opportunity to move into teaching presented itself, and a career path was altered. Mr. Marcoida enters his 21st year of teaching feeling like a new teacher once again. He has taught pretty much every grade, from as low as TK to as high as credit recovery for young adults 18+. He enjoys his family of five, with children ages 10, 17, and 23. He is very excited to start his new adventure with AdVENTURE!

Ms. Wells -- English Language Arts

I was a 7th grade student at Herman when I decided I wanted to be an English teacher. With this goal in mind, I went on to receive my B. A. in English and Psychology, teaching credential, and M. A. in education from UC Davis. While I spent the first couple years of my career teaching upper elementary, I am excited to be joining the Adventure team in a role that allows me to focus on my passion for ELA. I’m a strong believer that reading and writing keep us in touch with our humanity and provide the tools we need to connect with one another and fight for a better future. In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking, yoga, and watching Sharks games.

Mrs. Zaccheo -- 5th Grade Core

Twenty years ago I started my career as an educator in an Aboriginal community on an island off the coast of Australia, my home country. I have come a long way since then, both in location and education. I have been extremely fortunate to be part of some incredible educational experiences, from a one-school school district in Cupertino, to the Adventure program in Oak Grove. Along the way I’ve taught hundreds of students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Early in my career I was focused on early literacy and earned my Master’s Degree in Education as well as my Reading Specialist Credential. After that I pursued an interest in Math and became part of the Adventure team as the 5th-8th Grade Math teacher. Now I find myself in a very happy place as the 5th Grade Core and 6th grade Elective teacher here at Adventure! When I’m not at school, you can find me immersed in a novel, traveling the world, watching my kids play sports, or camping & backpacking with my family.
Class webpage