This has been a particularly unexpected and challenging time in education and beyond. We asked our alumni teachers: What have you learned over the past year and will be carrying into the future?
Virginia Hinojos (MEdu’08) assistant principal at South Elementary School in Brighton, Colorado
I have learned that we have to have grace with each other. We are all going through something that we’ve never lived and must have compassion and understanding with each other. Because of this, I have learned so much from my students, their families and my fellow colleagues. We have to carry this into the future to help students feel comfortable and safe so that learning can happen.”
Amanda Morrison (MEdu’21) teacher at Severance Middle School in Severance, Colorado
This past year has taught me that my students appreciate having a voice in their education, and that it is valuable to listen to it. I asked for feedback from my sixth graders on everything from how their online learning platform was working for them to which class activities they were most interested in and felt they learned the most from. I then used the feedback to adapt my teaching to better meet their learning needs. It helped me to establish stronger relationships with students and allowed me to see the learning experience through their eyes. This is definitely a practice that I will carry forward in my teaching!”
JD Mangat 2017 Public Achievement alumnus and teacher at Angevine Middle School in Lafayette, Colorado
I have learned that implementing community-based projects in your classroom can go a long way. Regardless of your subject matter, try to find ways to get your students outside the classroom and working in their communities to problem-solve. This can work in an online or an in-person world.”
Lynn Dobransky (Roers) Pence (MEdu’99) teacher at Horizons K–8 School in Boulder
One of the most important things I have been reminded of is the power of relationships and building community when learning together. During the herculean feats of flexibility our students, their families, administrators and we educators took on during COVID-19, I am confident it would have been much more difficult without the relationships that were already in place. My students and I made the best of this very unique situation, expressing frustration, giving empathy to each other and then moving into learning and growing together. We learned to be both vulnerable and flexible, and we felt confident we could manage together. And learning together—in so many new and unperceived ways—is what the 2020 and 2021 school years have been all about.”
Becky Amschwand (MEdu’20) teacher at Sarah Milner Elementary School in Loveland, Colorado
Teaching day in and day out is filled with so many decisions and opportunities. Even teachers of very young children can start to explore and challenge stereotypes. Not everything has to be a full-blown lesson; sometimes, we are given little opportunities throughout our day. I love to take those opportunities when they present themselves, have a little discussion with my students and then move on. Big changes can happen in the little moments!”
Leticia Melendez Aldana (MEdu’10) teacher at Rocky Mountain Elementary in Longmont, Colorado
I have learned a lot about myself, my students, my colleagues and my community. Together we have all faced the trials of the pandemic and have risen to its challenges with fight and determination. I have learned that in the midst of the storm, my ‘why’ remained constant: doing what is best for students, regardless of the circumstances. This coming year, I plan to continue to develop my life story as an educator and motivate my students to develop their own amazing story as they continue their journey full of amazing opportunities.”
