Most teachers can relate to a time in their childhood that presented itself that they were destined to be a teacher. My childhood was that presentation. I attended Coldwell Elementary. It was Kindergarten through the 8th grade. I was fortunate to have attended Coldwell from Kindergarten through 8th grade. I don’t remember the exact day I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Maybe, it was on a rainy day inside a quiet classroom where I could smell the wonderful handmade food from the cafeteria. Maybe it was the warm sunny mornings walking to school and seeing my school getting closer. I could hear kids on the playground. I could see teachers walking into the school. It was my school. It was my life for 9 consecutive years. Here is where education became the foundation of my life. This was the first lesson in teaching.
I am a certified professional teacher in social studies middle school. I recently passed the edTpa alternative certification process with my alma mater University of Texas at El Paso. I have completed my one-year residency for the alternative certification program which was from January 2021 to December 2021. The program pairs up with a mentor teacher. This program provided me with support, experts, and quality courses to zero in on my focus to teach history to all students.
I come from a strong willed family. It was my parents that set the bar for all us to graduate from college. It is in our DNA to teach. My father was from a small little town of Junction, Texas. My mother is a native of El Paso aka Chuco town. They were first generation college students. They set the tone for my five brothers and I to “get a college education!”. My parents grew up and were not middle class. They were not rich. They grew up very poor. But that was just the economics. My parents were taught to be first class in their academic achievements. Dedication to honest work. And the virtue of faith was the cornerstone of their childhood. The lesson that your education is something that cannot be taken from you was taught over and over day by day, year by year by my parent’s central focus that my siblings and I were going to have a college education because they knew were capable of achieving it. But, most importantly, it was our right to have an education. That cannot be taken away.
The mission of this blog is to introduce many lessons for teaching from my experience in my teacher residency and my first-year teaching. I had the best mentor teacher anyone could ask for. One important lesson I can pass on is that we as professionals need to help each other. I was welcomed into my assigned school by the faculty and staff. It was the first time that I was aware that I was seen as a professional teacher. I wasn’t a substitute on a long-term assignment. I was a teacher!
Why do this?
- I would like to assist future teachers with edTpa.
- I would like to share lesson plans which will show differentiation strategies, ELL strategies, and small group modifications.
- I would also like to share the struggles of teaching students, having empathy for parents, and collaborating with teachers.
- I will be writing how my education led the way to my professional teacher status.
- I will be sharing inspirational and motivational self-care ideas because teachers need to know that our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health is a priority.
Lastly, I am dedicated to being a professional teacher in social studies. I am a dedicated woman who persevered over roadblocks, tragedies, and pain to attain my certification to teach. One important thing I remember when I step into a classrooms is the saying “Walk like you have 3000 ancestors behind you”. I intend to have you along for the journey.
Lessons in education 