This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Husband, Luis, and our daughter, Zoe

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Transitional kindergarten

Education and experience: I received my bachelor’s degree from CSU Stanislaus. I am currently enrolled at Humphreys University; I am working on my credentials and master’s degree. At DECA, I have been a long-term substitute teacher in kindergarten and fourth-grade dual immersion as well as a bilingual paraeducator in the language lab.

What attracted you to Denair?  I love the Denair community and small-town feel. I attended school in Denair K-12 and have worked for the district since 2013 as a bilingual paraeducator. Denair is simply home.

What most inspires you about teaching? I know it sounds cliché, but my students inspire me the most. I  love the “ah-ha” moments that students have when they master a new skill or a new task. It motivates me to try my best for them.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am looking forward to the challenge of transitioning from paraeducator to homeroom teacher. I have experience working with students in grades TK-5, yet there is a lot left to learn.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I love to use GLAD strategies because I can incorporate all learning styles in my lessons.

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember that I care about them. I will always foster a positive and safe learning environment. 

How can parents support what you do? I believe that it is important for parents and teachers to work together. Parents can support their children by encouraging active learning at home, making sure they arrive at school on time and keeping open lines of communication.

What would surprise people about your job? I think that people would be surprised by the amount of time that it takes to prepare for one school day. It is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What do you do for fun?  My family and I enjoy traveling. We take a big trip every summer. I also enjoy taking dance classes and reading.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with employees new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Lots of fur babies!

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: School counselor

Experience and education: I have worked in schools for the last 19 years in various positions throughout the different sites and district offices. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in curriculum and instruction, and received my master’s in school counseling in 2020 along with my Pupil Personnel Services Credential. 

What attracted you to Denair? I also came from a small town with a close-knit community. I know the difference it makes to have people that you know and trust be there for you and support you. I love the fact that I can connect and get to know the students and their families. I feel that it can help make the most impact when those connections are there. 

What most inspires you about counseling? I like the fact that I can help students realize what they are doing right and how they can improve on their weaknesses. Communication and understanding is key to knowing how to accomplish their goals. Many times, the fact that a student does not perform well in school may be because they are not aware of the impact it has on their future. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I look forward to building connections with the students, staff and the community. Being new also brings the exciting challenge of learning all the ins and outs of daily life in this school, as every school is very different and has a different school community. 

What is your favorite counseling tool or activity? In my opinion, the most important and effective tool when it comes to working with students is gaining their trust and showing them that you care. Once the connection is established, students will know that what we are doing is for their good. 

What do you want your students to remember? I want students to remember that they are important, cared about and that they can accomplish what they set out to do. Letting them know that as long as they are doing their best, they can get far.

How can parents support what you do? Communication. Talking to the school and communicating big events in the child’s life will allow the school to be proactive and supportive. Additionally, talking to their students about school and seeing how they are feeling. If there is any frustration with a subject or situation, talking to the student can let us know how to help them most effectively.

What would surprise people about your job? How different it is every day!

What do you do for fun? I love to craft. I am currently very interested in cross stitch and crocheting. I have made soap, painted and drawn in the past as well. It all depends on what will satisfy that creative outlet. 

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

School: Denair High School

Subject taught: Math

Experience and education: This is my first year as a teacher. 

What attracted you to Denair? I grew up in the Central Valley and I want to give back to the amazing

community that I grew up in.

What most inspires you about teaching? I love when students get that “Ah-ha!” moment when they’re

able to connect the ideas together and understand the concept.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am not good at memorizing names, but I

am looking forward to meeting all of my students this year and getting to know them.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool is Desmos. It is convenient and

really easy to use in the math classroom.

What do you want your students to remember? I would want my students to remember how to use

mathematics in their life outside of academia.

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support me by supporting their students.

What would surprise people about your job? The amount of time spent lesson planning would surprise

people.

What do you do for fun? I love to play puzzle games. Any games that require thinking or logic are

awesome.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with employees new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Married with two children (daughter going into first grade and son going into eighth grade). 

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: Spanish, Dual Language Immersion Spanish Arts, AVID

Experience and education: Graduated with bachelor’s degree and finished credential program, both at CSU Stanislaus. I have worked for the public school system since I graduated high school.  I have worked in a variety of classified positions in the Ceres Unified School District and completed my student teaching experience in Ceres at Cesar Chavez Junior High School. 

What attracted you to Denair? I have heard great things about Denair Unified. One that drove me here is that it is a small school district with great community participation. I love to hear that parents, administration and staff are involved in the success of DUSD students. 

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspired me to become a teacher was the love for my language, culture and community. I want to take part in helping students who want to learn a new language, and I want to keep pushing those who already speak it to polish it and become biliterate. Lastly, I want to inspire the younger generation and make a positive impact in their lives.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am looking forward to getting to know my students, building a relationship and a sense of community in my classes. I want students to feel like we are all learning together by engaging them in the learning process and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool is in class peer/group conversations. When in a language class, it is essential to practice the language with those learning alongside us. How I do this is by incorporating various activities to get students talking in the target language.

What do you want your students to remember? I want the students to remember that they are bright, capable and valued.

How can parents support what you do? I believe parents play a big role in their students’ education. The key is to keep an open line of communication and work together to help the students succeed. If this is in place, we are going to make big things happen.

What would surprise people about your job? Something that would surprise people about my job is that it is a lifelong learning experience. For me, too, teaching is learning. I have to keep up with new trends in the language and methods of teaching language acquisition. 

What do you do for fun? For fun, I do family time. My family is big (my parents, my siblings with their own individual families, too) and when we get together, you bet it is a party of laughter, music and food.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: I have a 10-year-old 

School: Denair High School 

Subject taught: Spanish and English Language Development

Experience and education: I have been in education for more than seven years working as a paraprofessional and later a substitute teacher. This is my second year teaching in the Denair Unified School District. Last year, I taught English, math and science at Denair Middle School. 

What attracted you to Denair? I love that Denair is a small community in which everyone is very united. Being able to work in an environment where we know all staff and students really makes our days more pleasant and productive. 

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspires me the most about teaching is being able to make a difference in students’ lives, not only academically but also on a personal level. I am a first-generation college graduate who has overcome many hardships due to language and economic barriers. I want to be a role model for my students and show them that anything is possible as long as they truly want it and work for it. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Student engagement can at times be a challenge in the classroom; therefore, I look forward to teaching in ways in which they have fun as they learn. 

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I have two favorite teaching tools. One is using the “Pear Deck” platform for interactive lessons. Students enjoy seeing their immediate responses on the board and this has an amazing impact on student engagement. My favorite second teaching tool is using a “hot potato” ball that I have my students hold as they practice their speaking skills in my language classes.

What do you want your students to remember? I want them to remember that hard work is compensated for, and that education is a tool for success and no one can take that away from them. 

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support what I do by asking their student how they are doing in my class, regularly checking their grades and holding their child accountable for completing their assignments. 

What would surprise people about your job? People would be surprised to know that I am able to remember my students’ writing styles. 

What do you do for fun? I enjoy spending time outdoors. I especially like to go on bike rides, walks and fishing with my son. I also love going to amusement parks; Six Flags is my favorite. Lastly, I really like to challenge myself by practicing weight training.