Kindergarten Teacher 

As I reflect on the influences that led me to pursue a career in teaching, one memory comes vividly to mind. It dates to the early years after my arrival in the United States. New to this country, I did not yet know how to speak, read, or write in English. A shy and unassimilated young girl, my language restrictions made it impossible for me to keep up with my classmates. One day, Mrs. Conte—a second grade teacher in the Elizabeth Public Schools volunteered to work with me. She was patient, dedicated, and supportive. She was relentless; she instilled in me the love of learning and the confidence that I would later need to learn on my own. As I have grown, I have often looked back on my time with Mrs. Conte and wondered how I could take this experience and pay it forward to other students who struggle with English and other learning difficulties. As a result of my research, I became fascinated by the hands-on approach offered by Montessori style education. However, to reach more students, I continued my education to state licensure. Today, I am a Kindergarten Teacher for the Elizabeth Public Schools and have been teaching kindergarten for the past nine years. Looking back, I am quite proud of my accomplishments, and the many students that I have been so lucky to teach. I believe if students have a safe classroom environment filled with mutual respect, their learning opportunities will be endless.

My teaching philosophy is that every child is a unique individual, and each one learns differently. As a kindergarten teacher, I identify the individual learning styles of my students and create lessons according to their strengths, weakness, and needs. As an early childhood teacher for over twenty years, and as a trained Montessori Teacher, children learn best “by doing.” Utilizing the “concrete” approach to instructions along with tangible materials and manipulatives, children make sense, understand, and have an awareness of what they need to do to achieve the goal. Once they have mastered the concrete level of learning, children can move on to the more abstract, the use of paper, pencil, and digital tools. I believe if children are given this opportunity to gain experience, they will become lifelong learners. This method of individualized instruction can be particularly challenging. In addition to the fundamental learning skills, there are many social and emotional factors that I feel need to be considered as well. When students do not get along, I use conflict resolution skills followed by a lesson which includes all students. When students are hurt, physically or emotionally I provide support, love and understanding. When students want to give up, I reassure them that they “can do it” and to believe in themselves. When students have not had a good night’s sleep, I offer comfort, or if they are still hungry after snack, I make sure their stomach is full, so they are ready to focus and concentrate. All these qualities make me an outstanding teacher. Each day, I welcome my students with a new day to learn, to explore, to connect, to aspire, to be the best they can be. 

School Counselor

Coming from a family of educators has always been something that influenced my views on education. When choosing a career for myself, I knew that I needed to do something that would allow me the opportunity to motivate young lives the way that my teachers and family had inspired me. Despite our economic challenges, or rather because of them, my immigrant parents were committed to ensuring that my siblings and I took our education seriously. I hoped that being in a school setting would provide the perfect platform for stimulating young minds, encouraging them to reach for the stars, and helping them create plans for achieving their goals. Throughout my twelve years of teaching/counseling experience, I have kept my reasons for becoming an educator close to my heart. There’s a passion that drives me to do everything I can to make a difference in a child’s life. Over the years, I have learned that I can make a big impact on a student’s life by building meaningful relationships with them and I would consider this one of my greatest accomplishments as an educator. My secret to developing significant relationships is to be a good listener because oftentimes adults don’t take the time to listen to children and they crave that type of attention; for someone to take an interest in their hobbies, ideas, and beliefs. As I model this for my students, I find that they feel as though they have a safe space where their differences are accepted and respected.

As a school counselor, my primary responsibility is to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of my students. This includes helping them navigate challenges, develop coping skills, and set and achieve academic and personal goals. I believe that what makes me exceptional in this position is my ability to establish strong relationships students and their families, providing a safe and supportive environment where they feel heard and valued. One of the ways that I directly impact student success is by collaborating with teachers, administrators, and other professionals to identify students who may be struggling academically or socially, and then providing individual or group counseling and intervention services. This includes teaching study skills, developing strategies to manage stress or anxiety, or providing resources for mental health support. I also believe that it is important to work with students proactively to prevent problems from arising in the first place. To this purpose, I create weekly interactive social and emotional lessons that our teachers use to inspire our students to be the best version of themselves. By helping students develop these skills early on, they are better equipped to navigate challenges they may face in the future. Another way that I impact student success is by serving as an advocate for students and their families. This involves advocating for accommodations or special services, connecting families with community resources, or providing support during times of crisis or transition. Ultimately, my goal is to help each student reach their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally.