Alyssa Maestas
first grade teacher,
Amy Biehl Community School
As a young child, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.
I was going to be a teacher who made a difference in our community by loving my students and treating them like the capable beings that they are. I would listen to them, accept them, encourage them when they needed it and celebrate their successes. For the past several years, I have been able to do that.
I have accepted over 160 students into my classroom and created a learning space tailored to each of their needs.
This year, my classroom is my computer screen filled with 16 squares of sweet and smiling students.
Those students might not physically be in my classroom, but they are in my heart. Together, we are making history. I remind my students that this year will be something they remember forever because it is the year that education came into their homes.
Distance learning has not been easy. When my own children, Stephen, 7, and Amira, 3, fall asleep, I spend the next few hours completing lesson plans and working on my own graduate school coursework. As I check my email each night, I often see colleagues and my principal still working tirelessly.
This pandemic has brought some tough and exhausting challenges. I know that this will lead to some positive and much needed shifts in education. Our students deserve quality education where technology is utilized, community is built and their interests help design our lessons.
My students were studying weather a few weeks ago, and I was able to reach out to television meteorologists Steve Stucker and Connor Lewis. They provided these rich, meaningful videos for my students that answered their questions and extended their knowledge. This is one example of how we can use this time to bring the knowledge of our community to our students.
Education in New Mexico will prevail, and I am excited to be part of the shift.