How long have you worked for Educators On Call?
I've worked with Educators on Call for 7 months.
Why did you choose education as a career?
I like to think that I did not choose education, it chose me. I have always had a love for kids. I also came to realize that I have the ability to influence positive change among students and teens in particular.
What is your fondest memory as a substitute teacher?
I have many, but my fondest is probably the love and appreciation I received from my first assignment at the Hebrew Charter school where I substituted for a month. The children made me a card, and they all stood and verbally told me one by one what they loved about me and what they were going to miss about me. It broke my heart to leave them, I was so touched. They will always have a place in my heart.
Why is being a substitute teacher important?
Being a substitute teacher is important not just for filling in gaps when a teacher is out, but we have the rare opportunity that most teachers don’t. We have the ability to plant seeds of love, hope, the importance of determination and resilience. We have the opportunity to remind students of the importance of self-control and self-discipline, which are all keys to success. These children are the future, they need to be reminded that their actions matter, the work they do now matters. We need to plant seeds in their heart that bear fruits of success so that they understand that hard work, does pay off. That also they can choose to make a difference and become a part of the solution.
Please share a little about yourself (i.e. your family, your hobbies, etc).
I have been married for twenty-five years to my husband Delroy who has been my backbone. I have been blessed to have three beautiful daughters who are world-changers in their own right. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. It is because of my children that I recognized the importance of meeting students in their own pedagogy. My hobbies include writing, reading, motivating others, traveling, crafting, cooking and baking. My aspiration is to impact positive change and light wherever I go, to whomever I meet. It still takes a community to raise our children, I know things have changed but it is even more urgent now that we meet our students right where they are, with no judgment, so we can lift them up for the greater good of their future, our future actually.
