life-long learner
Lifelong learning is an integral part of Mineola's mission statement. As educators, we strive to continue learning and adjusting as times change. Through these challenging times more than ever, it is crucial to lead by example. Students feed off of the energy and environment that teachers create in their classrooms. While creating a love of learning in students is done through teaching, continuing one's own love of learning is also very important. During my time as an educator at Mineola High School, I have always strived to improve myself and grow as an individual and a teacher - and never forget that I was once a student. I have had the amazing opportunity to attend professional development and educational seminars, and use those strategies and skills that I obtained to help my students build upon their love of learning and continuously strive to better themselves and keep the spark for learning shining bright.
Professional
Development
Please click on the icon above to view my log of professional development hours. These hours have been accumulated over the years, and have allowed me to grow as an educator. From Growth Mindset to different strategies for classroom management, all of these courses helped to shape me into the teacher I am today.
Intervisitation
Report
Please click on the icon above to view my intervisitation log from the 2019 school year. Being able to not only collaborate with my coworkers, but learn from them, is an invaluable resource. Given the chance to do so allowed me to better myself as a teacher and learn new ways to teach and assess students.
2017-2018
Action Research
Please click on the icon above to view my Action Research Project for the 2017/2018 school year. For this project, I researched different ways to use technology in the classroom. I utilized a multitude of resources and iPad applications, especially in groups, to ensure that my students were all engaged and understanding the material.
2018-2019
Action Research
Please click on the icon above to view my Action Research Project for the 2018/2019 school year. For this project, I worked with my peers. Our main goal was to identify techniques and strategies to integrate and implement in our classrooms that would promote collaboration and encourage more meaningful discussion in groups.
Demonstrating Life-long Learning
KidOYO Seminar
August 20-22, 2018
When I began teaching AP Computer Science Principles, I wanted to gain as much knowledge as possible. During this time, I was introduced to the KidOYO platform. I was able to take what I learned, and apply it during the following school year. Since Computer Science was somewhat new to me, I used that to my advantage to show my students that learning is something that does not end after college.
Molloy APCSP Workshop
June 25-28, 2019
This was the first Computer Science seminar I attended. It was held at Molloy College, and it consisted of teachers who had previously taught the course before, and teachers who were new to teaching the course (myself). I left this workshop ready to create a curriculum for my future students that would be fun and invigorating, and also allow them to explore their interests in computer science as a potential future career!
Growth Mindset Seminar
November 8, 2019
This seminar was one that will stick with me for the rest of my career. I learned valuable information that positively impacted my role as an educator. As a group, we learned about the importance of instilling Growth Mindset in a math classroom, specifically when skills become challenging, through the use of questioning techniques, assignments, feedback, and the overall environment we create. To this day, I utilize these strategies.
Establishing Life-long Learning in the Classroom
Student
Lifelong Learning
It is my goal to teach my students to be lifelong learners. I create lessons that will keep them engaged and curious. Using technology has been a game changer for engagement in my classroom. From competitive team games on Quizizz, to interactive jeopardy games, to working with their peers on projects that relate the subject to real life, students are having fun and also gaining the knowledge they need. Please scroll through and take a look at some examples.
Real-Life Application of Math and Computer Science
Real life application is when students can see the significance of what they are learning. Relating topics to the world around my students is crucial for them to understand not only what they are learning, but why they are learning it. Both mathematics and computer science are so prevalent in our society. It's important for students to understand where they can search for and find these concepts embedded in their everyday life.
Continuing Learning in Summer School
I taught summer school for the 3 summers that I was at Mineola High School. During my first and second summer, students were in person. I helped these students gain the confidence and knowledge needed to move on to the next level of math and be successful. During my third summer of summer school, students were fully virtual. Throughout each summer, I kept in contact with parents and made sure to have the parent-teacher team to best help each child succeed. Below you can find examples of how I kept students organized and motivated through the years. I always kept a calendar for the entire summer, that would be updated if needed. Students knew what to expect daily, and their homework was always posted to Canvas in advance. Consistency and choice lead the students to success each summer!
