I teach both Spanish1 and Introduction to Education. My philosophies are the same for both. I am a member of the Beach Academy because I like a mix of hands-on learning and note-taking. I also believe that we learn best when we are serving others. 

¡Bienvenidos (Welcome) a la clase de español! 

I have been at Plattsmouth High School for five years, though this is my 7th year teaching Spanish. I come from a Spanish-speaking home, though English was my first language. I believe that becoming bilingual will help students in the 21st Century in any job they will acquire in the future, therefore, this class will help to prepare students for success after graduation. 

Welcome to Introduction to Education! 

I have taught Introduction to Education for Dual Credit through the University of Nebraska at Omaha for three years. This course is for Juniors and Seniors who are interested in the Education profession. It is not a requirement that a student take the course for Dual Credit but it is offered as a way to take care of a required course that all colleges will require. 

Here are a few philosophies that guide my teaching

Learn to embrace failure

 Success and failure are both opportunities for gaining information. When students in my class succeed it really means that what they did worked and they will probably try the same thing again next time.  When someone fails, the information they are getting is that what they did didn’t work well and they need to come up with another plan to try next time. It is with failure, then, that we have to engage in critical thinking and actually learn strategies for success.  

Create a Growth Mindset

 Often when students struggle with a class or a subject matter they brush it off by saying, “I’m just not smart”. Or, “I’m just not good at that”. The fact is that brains are able to grow. Like any muscle in our body, your brain can get stronger and actually grow in its ability to tackle hard problems. But just like your muscles, it takes work. Students often confuse having to work hard at something as not being smart. In my class, you will be constantly challenged to change the way you think about your brain. We will engage in strategies to help you grow in different areas but it will require effort on your part too.  We will “exercise” together!