Graduating from my Master of Arts program has deepened my craft and passion for teaching and learning. While in graduate school, I have embraced specific instructional focus areas such as; early childhood education, Spanish language instruction, and the celebration of Latino diversity. Curriculum planning, critical thinking strategies, and cultural responsiveness techniques are the driving force in implementing my instructional focuses.
During my second year at Georgia State University, I gained employment at The Goddard School as an early childhood Spanish resource teacher. I developed the Spanish program that had been inactive for numerous years, using a Spanish-language curriculum of my own design. The Spanish program is built upon multi-tiered lessons for students of various ages. I also created additional program support. One such support was making a weekly newsletter for parents highlighting their children's work in classes: this enhanced parent communication and student social-emotional support.
While engaging in graduate coursework, I also taught Georgia State University's undergraduate students. New experiences as a Graduate Teaching Assistant enlivened my interest in teaching college-aged students, encouraging me to develop new curricula and build classroom strategies that strengthened my instructional effectiveness. One such method, Guided Inquiry, whereupon students describe their learning goals and criteria for success in their own words. As a result, students demonstrated increased engagement and a deeper understanding of their targeted learning objectives.
While Goddard School, located in the Atlanta region, is currently where I teach, it was prefaced by my work at Abington Friends School in Southeastern Pennsylvania. At Abington
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Friends school, I was an Extended Day Teacher. Abingdon Friends saw the origins of the building of my instructional style for teaching Spanish to youth. In a sample work, included in my portfolio: (Power Point) Cmo la cancin y la repeticin pueden mejorar la adquisicin de los nios en la clase de espaol. I outline the specific tasks suggested to begin work with children in new language acquisition. Specifically, the introduction of music, rhythm, and repetition captures the early learners' attention. Children ages 3 to 5 thrive and are most receptive under instruction that employs social elements. Their natural inquisitive state at this age makes for eager students, interested in their lessons.
At Abington Friends, a school based on Quakerism, I also began to develop a deeper understanding of the role of institutions in furthering the development of "Critical Consciousness." Critical Consciousness requires that we go beneath the surface to unearth inequality at its roots. I was called then, and still do, analyze the interactions between individuals and institutions and measure their impacts and contributions to culture and society.
Abington Friends administrative team expressed appreciation for my role in developing children's association with the relationship between themselves, their school setting, and their learning ability. I theorize that a youth's understanding of their ability to learn and subsequent related success in school; starts well before kindergarten. I intend to be a part of the educational development of children to gain the skills and confidence needed to excel in school from the very start.
During my undergraduate studies, Abington Friends was a transition into formal teaching that could not have been possible without my previous experiences at Taller Puertorriqueo, Latino art and community center in Philadelphia.
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Taller Puertorriqueo is known as the "cultural heart of Latino Philadelphia." My capacity was as a Youth Cultural Group leader. Taller Puertorriqueo is set in urban Philadelphia, surrounded by a primarily Latino community. The majority of the students I encountered daily spoke Spanish. However, my interests and students' needs at this time coincided perfectly. These students knew Spanish. However, they could benefit from an enhanced perception of a broadly inclusive Latino cultural existence. I created instruction based primarily on the arts, music, and movement to engage students in lessons about Afro-Latin culture and history.
As a teacher at TOCA, Theatre of Cultural Art, I co-created an Annual Multicultural Performing arts program. This production, since 2018, celebrates the artistic talents of students from many different cultures and backgrounds. I promote awareness and inclusion for Afro Latinos and celebrate their richly complex culture, including African influence. Through this production, we seek diversity and value artistic expression.
As I continue to deepen my knowledge and discover innovative ways to teach, I plan to seek employment in an organization where I can implement innovative and meaningful instruction.