Carmen Santos

I love the subject I teach, and I think that it is important for teachers to enjoy what they do. Without our own inspiration, how will we motivate our students?

I feel a connection with my students.  I believe teachers need to see the whole child before they can effectively teach. I try to get to know them, the music they like, the sports they play, their favorite foods.  We always begin the year with sharing.  I try to turn my classroom into a little neighborhood.  After all, we all live in the same village, share the same school. We meet at the neighborhood grocery, and at the mall.  I watch them grow from freshmen to seniors.  They watch me grow to senior as well.

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I keep my classroom doors open and my mind too, ready for new learning.  I think Carl Jung said it all: “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child”.

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I see eLearning as a way to reach more learners on a platform that can traverse distance and time. I see digital learning as an opportunity for students to expand their horizons beyond the limits of our island shores.  Now is the time for me to truly grow with my students and to focus on the ways of eLearning.  I hope to bring greater tech skills to my career.  I see the challenge to use technology in the classroom to spark interest in learning but also to make it relevant for the learner.  I feel the 21st century learner needs a 21st century teacher.  I prepare to fill that need.