My Animoto Video

My Animoto Video

National Technology Plan Key Areas

Beginning My Path to Leadership

Hi, I'm Monica. I teach a first and second grade split class at Benavidez Elementary School in Houston Independent School District. I am currently pursuing my Master of Education in Educational Administration at Lamar University. 

Funny moments

The two boys that sit in front of my desk are hilarious. Bryan says to Matt, “You should come to my house. And you should bring your pet cheetah. I’ll give him $1,000 because he’ll be mad. If you give cheetahs $1,000, they’ll be happy. “

Later that day, Matt asked, "Can I play Paper Wars? But not in the eye." I couldn't help but giggle at him.

Eight years old with a knife

Then the following Thursday I had a young boy bring a knife to school. That morning, the teacher’s assistant stopped me in the hall and showed me the knife. This hunting knife unfolded with a 4” blade. It was quite large and shocking. This student was having problems with the student sitting next to him. It would have been pretty scary if he had pulled it out in class.

Ball of poo

Last week, I had a student sitting next to my desk because he was running around not doing his work. When I am done helping students I walk to my desk and this student is holding a ball of poop. I was dumbstruck; I momentarily didn’t know what to do. He saw me look at him and he stuck it back into this khaki shorts. I immediately told him to go to the restroom. I was completely grossed out. I felt like taking a shower at that moment. Now, this ball of poo was not pebble size, or golf ball size…it was nearly the size of a softball….disgusting.

Exhale

This past week was Stanford 10 Testing. We have been preparing for this week for two months. I told my students that the rest is up to them; I did as much as I could. It made me so proud to see my low students really trying on the test. I rewarded them with snacks and a movie on Friday. 15 days left, I feel it and they feel it. Every day gets more and more difficult with behavior. But my students know that I reward them generously and they WILL miss out if they have outrageous behavior. 

I also was informed that I will have a job for next year. I am moving to first grade! Yay! I am excited to learn more about this school, the students, the faculty, and education. My principal offered me a chance to enroll in KASTOR, a pilot program with Neuhaus. KASTOR stands for Knowledgeable and Skilled Teachers of Reading. The teachers who participate in this program will be the brightest stars in the field of reading instruction. It's a two year commitment so essentially, job security. AND I was offered a grant to repay most the the fees for my Alternative Certification Program.

I received good news, good news, and good news. Now I can breath!