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Abraham Lara
Abraham Lara
While I did not initially pursue an education degree for my undergrad, over my career journey, I've been close to the education sector in different ways.
As a youth pastor in my 20s, I also worked as a paraprofessional in the Grandview School District to connect with teens. In my 30s, my wife and I then raised 6 daughters in various school settings. In my 40s, I've been a substitute teacher for the Yakima School district while pastoring a local church.
As I pivot to a career as an educator full time, I am excited to utilize the digital and people skills I've picked up along the way to make my class fun, engaging, and a place where students experience the joy of learning.
Personal Statement
Personal Statement
Looking back on my own educational path, there are certainly some teachers who outshine many of the others - Mr Brooks, Mr. Weld, and Ms Pope. These teachers not only taught me, but made learning fun, and challenged me to go beyond just doing or turning in “easy” or “lazy” work because they knew I was capable of more.
My desire is to become one of those teachers. The kind of teacher kids remember not just for a year, but for a lifetime.
Over the tenure of a teaching career, a teacher may have hundreds of students pass through their classroom. But for each of those students, that teacher is most likely their only 2nd-grade teacher, etc. Just as in parenting - "The days are long, but the years are short." Because we have such a limited time to make an impact on our students, we owe it to them to do our best.
How do we do that?
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First, we must create a safe classroom environment. Not only safe physically but also mentally and emotionally. Students must feel safe enough to ask questions without feeling like they will be made fun of for not knowing. When students know that their teacher cares about them as a person and is cheering on their success not only academically, they will feel safe enough to share their joys and struggles both inside and outside of the classroom. As the saying goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Secondly, we must know the content thoroughly enough to answer questions on the fly. We must employ multiple strategies to meet a diverse classroom where students are. We must ensure that every student gets the help and resources they need to maximize their learning potential.
Finally, we work alongside parents as allies in the growth of their children. We do this by keeping them informed of how their child is doing academically, emotionally, and socially at school. We invite them to communicate with us when something at home may be affecting their work at school. They have entrusted us with the little people they value most in the world. We must show them that we have their child's best interest in mind.
Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
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