My first year of teaching was a year-long teaching internship at Bayfield Elementary in Bayfield, Colorado. I spent that year working with 2nd grade students which was an amazing experience. Once I completed the internship, my family and I migrated west where I began working at Cortez Middle School as a 7th grade reading teacher. Quite a change from working with 2nd graders to working with 7th graders!!!! At CMS I participated in multiple groups and committees, was a department chair and also served as the schools' "literacy coach" for a couple of years. After 6 years at CMS an opportunity to return to elementary school teaching arose at Lewis Arriola Elementary and I jumped at it. As a 5th grade teacher and ultimately "Dean of Students" I enjoyed some of my best years of teaching. Teaching at all levels has been a great experience but working at Lewis Arriola redefined what really good teaching was and what a special place it is.
After six years of working with great students, teachers, student teachers, staff and community and family members at Lewis Arriola I moved on to work for multiple local districts as an "integration liaison". Having completed a second postgraduate degree and having earned a principal's license, the liaison duties of working with teachers on professional development and teacher evaluation was a natural transition into the administrative world. Liaison work took me to all of the regions' districts as well as areas throughout the entire state. However this work was only for a year. Uncertain of what direction to go following the liaison work, an opportunity to work as Associate Principal Lewis Arriola developed and again I jumped at it. It is extremely rare in education that a person can return, in a different capacity to a place where so many great experiences took place.
I am currently working as the Associate Principal at Lewis Arriola Elementary & Pleasant View Elementary schools and continuing to work as an Integration Liaison. While i can say that my 14 years in education has been a interesting and winding road, it's good to be home!!!!!
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