RESUME: Instructional//Curriculum Design | Techology Training | Web Design |Literacy Specialist
I've been a high school English teacher for fifteen years and have taught a range of students from Gifted and Talented to At-risk (and sometimes they are one and the same) in repeat English classes and AP classes. Experience has taught me that when a classroom atmosphere is built upon mutual respect between students and teachers, the foundation is set for learning. Creating an environment that is trusting, nurturing, and safe with clear expectations that learning will be critical, creative, and fun encourages students to go down any road that I lay before them. Believe me, some of my students in my first year of teaching in El Paso didn't trust that I would take them anywhere. Their whole attitude was, "Teach me something; I dare you." But by the end of that year, those recalcitrant students (gang bangers outside of my classroom) were volunteering to read parts in Shakespeare's, Midsummer Night's Dream.
I offer students opportunities to express their opinions through creative, project-based assignments that serve as outlets for understanding and thinking expansion. Included in such assignments are: literary circles, writing assignments, journals, poetry slams, and discussions. The multicultural sources I choose must be relevant and conducive to opening avenues for discussion or debate while teaching valuable life lessons. Through the choices I offer students, they are able to construct their own learning experiences; to this end, they will not only retain information longer but will also become more confident in their abilities and feel empowered in their decision making.
I offer students opportunities to express their opinions through creative, project-based assignments that serve as outlets for understanding and thinking expansion. Included in such assignments are: literary circles, writing assignments, journals, poetry slams, and discussions. The multicultural sources I choose must be relevant and conducive to opening avenues for discussion or debate while teaching valuable life lessons. Through the choices I offer students, they are able to construct their own learning experiences; to this end, they will not only retain information longer but will also become more confident in their abilities and feel empowered in their decision making.
From an English Language Arts perspective, I have seen firsthand how slam poetry, (also called Spoken Word and performance poetry) when modeled and channeled in a classroom, can facilitate literacy, communication, and creativity from kids who are otherwise marginalized in academia. But in order for students to find their voices and be willing to open themselves, they must feel secure and appreciated. Establishing a community of learners as poets, writers, and communicators is first and foremost in my goals as an educator.
My motto for teaching:
"Expect the Unexpected." The environment I create is predictable because my expectations are clear, yet when it comes to content and delivery, I like to keep my students on their toes by using contemporary, diverse, and culturally rich resources that broaden and nurture learning in the changing landscapes of the 21st century.
"Expect the Unexpected." The environment I create is predictable because my expectations are clear, yet when it comes to content and delivery, I like to keep my students on their toes by using contemporary, diverse, and culturally rich resources that broaden and nurture learning in the changing landscapes of the 21st century.
