I am a proud Tillamook High School Alumni. As an alumni it has been an amazing opportunity to return to my community and become part of Tillamook School District 9 as a teacher. I have been able to build on previous connections with community members, teachers and families. I didn’t feel new or intimidated to start a new second grade dual language position at South Prairie Elementary School, I felt supported. The support helped me reach out to other teachers, those who I had not known in the past and those who I had myself as teachers in the district.

It has also been a great experience having students in my class, who have parents that I went to school with. These relationships created an opportunity to collaborate, and support students academically and socially. The communication has also been an advantage, parents seemed very comfortable reaching out with concerns or checking on their students progress.

I have been teaching at South Prairie for 3 years. Before South Prairie I was a teacher in Beaverton, while also completing my Masters Degree in Education with Oregon State University. I received my Bachelors from Western Oregon University in Spanish and a Minor in Art. I was also a student in Tillamook, go MOOKS! Even better, Mrs. Thenell, our South Prairie Principal, was my 6th grade teacher.

Being the second grade dual language teacher has been a very rewarding experience. Students not only learn more Spanish but they learn how to express themselves, how to translate and help one another. I am also learning from my students everyday. Whether that be new things about my students, vocabulary used in different areas of Mexico or ways my students learn best.