Fourth Grade Mathematics and Science Teacher 

The major factor that influenced me to become a teacher was the sudden and unexpected death of my father when we were on a family vacation back in 1956. I was an only child and only three years old at the time. My mother strived hard to keep our home, so we didn’t have to move into an apartment. She wanted me to have a backyard to play in. She frequently worked up to three jobs just to make ends meet and I became a latch-key child at an incredibly early age. Hence, school became the focus point of my life. It provided me with a community of friends that I so desperately needed. Plus, I loved learning! During summer vacations, I attended day camp since there were no summer programs for children of working parents in my town at that time. At age thirteen, the head counselor of Silver Brook Day Camp asked me if I would like to be a Counselor in Training for a group of five-year-old boys. I eagerly accepted the position. Although challenging at times, I quickly recognized that I had strong leadership qualities and came to realize that this was actually a “calling” for me to enter the teaching field. From that time on, I knew what I was destined to do with my life. My friends tease me and remind me that as a kid I always wanted to play school and, of course, I always had to be the teacher. We laugh about it now. In high school, I joined Future Teachers of America which helped prepare me for my college major. The only dilemma I had was, what exactly did I want to teach? I have always been a history buff, but I also loved working with young children. As the years went on, I have been truly fortunate to have the opportunity to teach both American history and world history to middle schoolers and to teach all subjects to second and fourth graders.

My personal belief about teaching revolves around teaching with compassion and understanding. Many of my students enter my classroom each day and think they must put aside family, personal, and learning difficulties and focus entirely on learning. Although this would be an ideal scenario, it is not realistic. My teaching philosophy involves getting my students to actively participate in the lesson at hand. Proof that demonstrates students not only learn from the lesson, but also enjoy it, is evident in how they work together in both teams and with partners. When working together, students are often thoroughly engaged throughout the lesson. I am always pleased to see the excitement and joy on my students’ faces as they come together during a learning experience.

Social Worker

There are many factors that have influenced me to become a school social worker. As a Hispanic native of Elizbeth who grew up in a low-income family, I always knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of students to feel validated and supported socially and emotionally. My passion has been to encourage students to believe in themselves, not settle for less, and make their dreams and goals come true. Another factor that influenced me in becoming a social worker evolved a few years after dealing with the health struggles of my father who had suffered from a severe stroke which left him with left side paralysis and unable to walk. It was a very difficult time for my family and me, which turned our lives upside down leaving us to deal with his care and daily health struggles. It was a moment in my life that made me realize that I needed to do more and make a difference in the lives of others.

Since 2018, I have been working tirelessly in making sure students feel safe, supported, and heard and encouraging them to develop confidence within themselves. I also have focused on providing social skills building, individual and group counseling, and addressing their mental and emotional needs. My objective as a school social worker has been to encourage students to focus on their education and develop the skills they need to tackle the curveballs that life can bring.