En julio del 2014 entré a un programa de liderazgo llamado Ed Fellows con Teaching Trust. Definitivamente es el programa mas significativo que he hecho en toda mi carrera docente. Me ha hecho evaluar mis valores y creencias en cuanto a Educación, así como reconsiderar cómo me perciben otros para convertirme en mejor líder. Ha sido difícil ser tan vulnerable, sobre todo cuando no es una de mis características, ya que aprendí desde muy chavita a tratar de no serlo. Sin embargo, es solamente esa vulnerabilidad la que me ha hecho verme como mis estudiantes y otros docentes me ven. Es la que me ha hecho querer crecer y convertirme en la mejor maestra que pueda ser.
Estos últimos 3 años escolares he aprendido a en verdad apreciar mi profesión y me ha llevado a ser muy... soft jajaja lo cual a veces me parece aun muy extraño porque no es mi personalidad ser ese tipo de maestra querendona y que llore por todo. Pero ahora así soy. Nada mas de pensar en lo exitosos que son los estudiantes que he tenido, o verlos que vienen a visitarme a la primaria cuando ya están a punto de ir a prepa. Hasta saludar a niños en el pasillo de la escuela cuando no son mis estudiantes, pero que saben que ahi estoy para ellos. Esa es mi motivación para ser la mejor líder que pueda ser, para ellos.
En fin, una de las tareas de Ed Fellows en agosto del año pasado fue hacer un análisis interior y escribir nuestra historia de por qué decidimos éste campo. No había considerado compartirla, porque como dije antes, me incomodaba tanta vulnerabilidad. Pero hoy me parece adecuado.
Así que aquí esta, la razón por la que soy maestra. Muchas felicidades a todos mis colegas, en especial a mi abuelito Luis (¡aún me sale tocar canciones navideñas en la flauta!), mi mami hermosa, y mi hermana talentosa :) haría una lista con todos a los que quiero felicitar, pero creo que sería too much jaja
Story of Self by
Donaji Iwasko
When I was little people asked me what I wanted to be when I
grew up. I often said I wanted to be teacher. Seeing my grandfather and my
mom’s daily schedule and having summers off seemed like a good deal. I did not realize how much work they actually
did for their students everyday.
By the time I finished elementary school my family moved to
Houston for a year. I was a complete stranger to the American culture, a
foreigner that did not speak the language. I was a complete outsider who found
refuge in her teachers. I especially remember how much faith the ESL teacher
and the bilingual assistant had in me. They believed I was able to learn enough
English to succeed. With their support I saw functionality in what I was doing
and learning everyday. This is one of the reasons I teach bilingual students,
because I know what it feels like to struggle with concepts when reading in a
second language. I teach because I want to instill in them a perseverance to
keep on learning, even when it is hard.
I remember how my math teacher never gave up. She persevered
with me as her student even though I was only able to compute numbers. It was
difficult for me to understand the word problems, but that did not stop either
of us. By the end of the year she elected me as the best 7th grade
Math student in the school’s awards ceremony. I was in shock to hear my name in
the intercom! That day at the ceremony, I felt like it was my biggest
achievement. And it was all because my teacher didn’t give up on me. I teach
because I want students to value what they know, and understand their
potential. When the school year was over and we moved back to Mexico, I left
with a much greater appreciation for the work of a teacher. They inspired me to
keep digging and maximizing my potential.
By the time I was 17 I had to make a decision on what career
to pursue. I chose education partly because of my mom’s advice, and partly
because of the economic situation we were in. My mother raised my siblings and
I as a single parent. She taught at a local University, which offered a
substantial discount to the faculty’s immediate family. My first choice was not
going into education. Regardless of my thinking, the choice was obvious. I
would study education. I did not realize back then how much my life was about
to change for the better, or how much my mom was right.
When I became a student teacher I saw the need in schools. I
saw the need in students for someone to advocate for them, and the eagerness in
their eyes to learn. Despite some of the desperate situations they were in, I
saw their hope of one day fulfilling their dreams of becoming a doctor, or
firefighter, a nurse, or the president, maybe even a teacher. I realized what
teaching was about. I wanted to teach to set a good example of dedication and
hard work. This quickly brought me back
to my time in Houston, how those teachers advocated for me, and pushed me to
reach my potential.
Right after graduating, I worked at a private university as
the Bilingual High School Coordinator. Being in an administrative position so
young caused me to create barriers that hindered my ability to relate to other
teachers as an effective leader. I often failed to guide them as needed. But I
wanted to become better so I started my Masters Degree. I learned a o lot, yes.
But I did not consider myself the best teacher yet. By the time I finished my
Masters Degree in Education, I decided to pursue the challenge of teaching
cross-culturally. I had been accepted to the Dallas ISD Alternative
Certification Program. I was looking forward to being a lever of change for
students in similar situations as I was when I was younger. I teach because I
want to empower my students with the determination to work for their goals, to
maximize their potential regardless of their cultural background, socioeconomic
status, or family situation.
Coming into that school year I thought I already knew
everything. It didn’t take long before I started noticing that coming into the
classroom to give a lecture to elementary students was not going to be the way.
Thanks to my former principal and his guidance, I began to realize that these
were the students that I had wanted to advocate for. They came into the
classroom with all sorts of challenges: single parents, low socioeconomic
status, and immigration issues… but they came with the spirit to learn. They
needed me to care for them, not for the job. It was that look in their eyes
when they understood something that really opened mine. It was so hard for me to let that wall come
down, to become an essential part of their lives, and mainly for them to become
part of mine. Teaching was a hard change, but a needed one. It made me
vulnerable not only as a teacher, but also as a person. Part of who I am today
is because of my former students, who allowed me to be part of their lives as
well.
Being already a formed professional, I found myself still
being a student learning for co-workers and mostly from my leaders. With their
help and faith in me, often I found myself in leadership positions. I am truly
grateful for the confidence thy have put in me, and I aspire to become a great
leader.
This school year I have moved to a coaching position. As it
is in every challenge, I have been pulled out of my comfort zone, giving me
room to grow in so many ways. I truly hope to become the leader that the
teachers and students in my campus need. I am eager to learn what I can from them and what I
can do for them in order for us to increase student academic achievement
together. Today I coach teachers to turn education around, because everything
we do is for the students. We look forward to a goal, that by the end of the
school year, 100% of our students achieve at least at 80% mastery of content
and skills to be college-ready. I have been immersed into education to make an
impact in society, and I look forward to fulfilling this dream along with them.
-Donaji
