Donald Wiseman is known for giving elementary school students musical experiences that keep them engaged and focused.
That was just one of the reasons Wiseman is being recognized as Ramona Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year in 2025.
“My goal is to make students become music lovers — kids who appreciate music,” Wiseman, 50, said. “They don’t necessarily have to be a virtuoso musician but I help them have an appreciation and an experience of music. A lot of my kids don’t have musical experience but they get it at school and that’s really cool.”
The Ramona resident works primarily at four schools — Hanson Elementary and Mt. Woodson Elementary in addition to Ramona Community Montessori School and Mountain Valley Academy.
For transitional kindergarten through sixth-grade students, he teaches general music classes that involve singing, dancing and movement. For fifth- and sixth-graders, he offers an optional band program in which they can learn to play an instrument such as flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone and percussion.
“It’s a non-traditional teaching assignment, but I like it because it suits me,” he said. “I enjoy working with all the different elementary grade levels at the different schools. It’s fun, and when I teach 1,200 students it’s always an adventure.”
One of the strategies that sets Wiseman apart is teaching students at their individual levels. For some, that means incorporating current songs such as pop music in the curriculum and for others it involves adding references to video games to the lessons, he said.
Mountain Valley Academy kindergarten/first grade teacher Teresa Shea has noticed the positive impact Wiseman has had on students.
“Don is one of those amazing teachers that engage students as soon as they walk through his door,” Shea wrote in a recommendation letter for the Teacher of the Year Award. “Usually while playing his ukulele, he greets the students with an excitement and energy that makes them feel welcome and happy to be there.”
Shea said while Wiseman focuses lessons on singing, music reading, playing instruments and spatial awareness, he creates an environment that all children can participate in by varying the pace and type of activities the students engage in.
“He is kind and inclusive and respectful to all students,” she said. “Not only do his lessons ister standards-based music instruction, they also teach turn taking, being respectful of others and equipment, and observing closely and listening to peers.”
Wiseman earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at San Diego State University in 2016 and the following year he completed his teaching credential while simultaneously being hired as a music teacher at Ramona Unified.
He’s proficient at playing band instruments such as flute, clarinet and saxophone, and mainly plays the marimba, which is similar to a large xylophone.
Wiseman says seeing students from his first year of teaching now graduating from Ramona High School is a rewarding experience.
“When I am on the middle school and high school campuses, I see former students and it warms my heart to see them in the band program or they will tell me about their garage band in which they play music,” he said. “If it wasn’t for elementary music, kids wouldn’t get exposed to music until seventh grade. That’s late for your first exposure. This is assuming kids don’t have exposure at home to music.”
Wiseman said he is grateful for being recognized as a Teacher of the Year as well as for being ed by teachers, s, parents and the community.
“When we have performances in the springtime, parents are always there,” he said. “Parents also rent instruments and kids that way.
“I was flabbergasted about being named a Teacher of the Year and that’s a good thing,” he added. “I was very thankful to be recognized as Ramona Community Montessori School’s Employee of the Year and the district’s Teacher of the Year. I was very grateful and thankful.”
