Bios

“To not have the same expectations for every student is discrimination.”

I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with a BA in Secondary Social Studies Education. I have been teaching Social Studies 7-12, specializing in U.S. History, for 25 years. In my experience, if you treat teenage students with love and respect, they are fiercely loyal and appreciative.  I love how full of possibility their lives are.  As teachers, we help make or break that possibility.

By watching this video, I hope that teachers and the community will better understand how fulfilling it is to teach in high-poverty schools and how important it is. 

“I want to be the teacher that I want my own children to have.”

I am originally from Bolivia. I have been teaching for more than 20 years, mostly as a kindergarten teacher. I attended San Simón University and received my teaching degree from Universidad Privada Abierta Latinoamericana (UPAL) in Bolivia. I obtained my Masters in Education from Framingham State College in Massachusetts.  I teach because I believe that I can positively impact a child’s life and plant the love for learning at an early age.

My wish is that this video will encourage potential teachers to step forward and help change lives.

“The impact I’m having on my students – they’re having the same impact on me.”

I attended Elon University in North Carolina, as a teaching fellow. I became a teacher by default with a scholarship, but fell in love with the profession and the children with whom I surround myself.
I have taught for 8 years in grade levels ranging from 4th grade to 7th grade, and currently teach 6th grade Math in a high-poverty middle school.

This documentary informs the public what we, as teachers, are really about – how much heart we put into our jobs. Most importantly, I hope people realize these kids deserve a chance to shine!

“If I’m a child in poverty, I truly need a teacher to be on my side.”

I have been an educator for 7 years and am currently teaching 5th grade. I attended SUNY College at Brockport, New York for my undergraduate and graduate teaching degrees. I have also obtained certification in School Leadership from Wingate University. I am a teacher because I know that the face of education in America has to change, and it starts with our elementary students.

I hope this video will enlighten people about the urgent need to educate our youth. We all have something at stake if our students are not globally competitive.

“When you teach a student that the community has given up on,
the rewards are so much greater.”

I am a high school Biology instructor and have taught for 12 years, using active investigation to make science relevant to my students. I obtained my training for this profession at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where I earned both a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Secondary Education. I teach because I hope to provide opportunities in science that were granted to me.

I hope that this video will get the public to subscribe to the brilliance of all children.

“I tell my students, ‘Don’t ever let your circumstances dictate what you can or cannot do.’”

I worked as an electrical engineer for 8 years before I decided to follow my mother’s advice to leave corporate America and become a teacher. I have taught 8th grade Mathematics and middle school Algebra I Honors for 9 years. I have a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and Math and will soon earn a Masters of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction.

The message of this video reminds me of a quote by Henry Brooks Adams: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”