Self-introductions

[Betsy Telle]

My name is Betsy Telle. I teach 8th Grade Science at Dr Julian Nava Learning Academy for LAUSD. This is my third year as a teacher. I am currently teaching 100% remotely from home. Pre-Covid I travelled quite a bit. I thankfully was able to travel quite a bit last year before the shutdown. Since quaratine, I have begun hiking a trail near my house several days a week. I've been trying to eat healthier and excercise more.

[Chad Espinoza]

Hello! My name is Chad Espinoza. I teach grades 9-12 at Tajima High in Echo Park. I teach all grades because I am an ELA support and ELD teacher/coordinator. I am currently teaching 100% online, and will continue to be until the semester's end. Before Covid, I enjoyed traveling, going to the gym, and trying new restaurants. Now, with covid, I have spent much of my free time expanding my cooking skills and watching shows I've negelcted for years.   

[Cynthia Jackson]

Hi! My name is Cynthia Jackson and I am a 7th grade World Geography teacher in Waltham, Massachusetts. This is my second year of teaching- a kind of crazy time to enter the field but also a crazy time to be in the field in general. My school is mostly remote and wants to move forward with SEL initiatives, the district needs our department to align curriculum across our two middle schools, and we're also transitioning our curriculum to meet the state's newest standards. A lot of things are happening but they allow me to create some exciting learning opportunities for my students whom I already enjoying getting to know. My advice and goal for the year is to take things one step at a time. I'm looking forward to learning beside all of you this Fall while I bake, curriculum plan, and get outside- my favorite ways to enjoy my favorite season!

 

 

 

 

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[Tara Corral]

Hi Everyone, my name is Tara pronounced Tah-rah. I am currently a teacher with LAUSD's Arts Education Branch. I am an Visual Arts Itinerant Teacher with elementary level grades. At this point I teach at 4 Schools throughout the week and 5 different grade levels each day depending on what the schools schedule is. Prior to quarantine I would drive to each school and travel from class to class with a cart of supplies now I am situated in my room with all my supplies available and join some teacher led zoom rooms or have them join mine. My tip maybe to clean up as much of your classroom set up at home at the end of the day so that your home is yours when you end the day and your not stuck in the same work environment. 

Before Covid and Quarantine I spent most of my time with my close friends taking salary pt classes on the weekends and or hiking and painting. These past few months have led to me and my friends taking salary point classes virtually and the other half of my time prepping lessons. I have actually spent more time working on my own artwork so I have been grateful for this time. 

[Donna Lee]

Hi! My name is Donna.

I am a School Counselor for 4th, 5th, and 9th graders. 

I guess my complaint for this year is that I want to go back onto campus! Being an extrovert, I really enjoy being around people so this is a bit hard. What has been helping is my daily run. Getting that fresh air and being able to wave at neighbors is such a life saver for me at this point.

Pre-COVID hobbies I had were meeting up with freinds! I love hosting parties or simply hanging out. I also love lifting barbells, but since the gyms are closed, it really is taking a toll. But I found running, hiking, and camping. But with the fires, you really have to stay indoors. So yes, this time period is pretty difficult for me, but I am taking it as time to get my salary points done. After this semester I only have one more to go. I am pretty excited!

Newly discovered quarantine talents are reading and learning Spanish on whatever free apps I can get my hands on.

[Verisha Carrillo]

Hello everyone, 

My name is Verisha Carrillo. I am a 6th grade ELA and History teacher at a middle school in Granada Hills, CA. I have been teaching MS for 8 years now. Before MS, I taught pretty much all grades in elementary. My move to MS was one of the best decisions I have made in my career. I love teaching 6th grade. I have been teaching, remotely, from home since March. I have two sons, whom are 4 and 5, They are both in school remotely too. We are all Zooming at the same time. My husband is working from home as well and he has helped out tremondously. It has been quite a challenge but we are all doing our part to make it less stressful. 

Pre-Covid, my family and I loved attending sports games. We have season seats to the Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, and Rams. We miss attending the games so much! We watch all the games from home but it is so different than actually being there in the staduim/arenas. We miss everything about it. We miss the sounds, the smells, the cheering with other fans, just everything. 

I have become a better cook in all of this, so that's a plus! 🙂

[Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz]

Hello everyone! My name is Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz and this is my very first year teaching. I just graduated with my Multiple Subject Credential and with my Masters in Education. I recently got engaged and moved in with my finance. I teach 7th grade English and World History in Los Angeles California. All my lessons are taught through zoom. Pre-covid, I would spend time visiting museums, amusement parks and going to the movies. At the moment my only hobbies are reading and running. I go for runs everyday, I hope to run in a marathon one day.

[Guadalupe Moreno]

Hello Everyone!

I am Gudalupe Moreno but prefer to be referred to as Lupe. My pronouns are Her and She. 

At the moment I am moving into my second year of teaching Visual arts at Van Nuys High School. During remote teaching I have been holding sessions within my houshold. I am lucky enough to have the space to set up my desk and work materials. Using my laptop and a document camera I have managed to hold demonstrations for the students to view. My tip to all us educators is to hold on to our sanity. We are all riing this new wave together and we can lean on each other for support. We are all brand new teachers once again because even if we incorporated technology in our classrooms before it was never at this level. Don't be afraid to replenish yourself!

Prior to Covid I enjoyed being a social butterfly. I would play Rugby for the SFV Women's Rugby team and we would travel all around the state and to a few others to play. Apart from Rugby I loved spending time with my friends and significant other. I really miss some of those fun times. I have not discovered new talents except the fact that I have to finish projects I leave mid-way. Aside from that, I would really like to put more effort in starting new projects as well as learning how to play three different insturments: the guitar, the ukulele, and the piano.

[Khrystle San Diego]

Hello everyone! My name is Khrystle San Diego. I currently teach a third-fifth grade special day class at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary. I have been teaching for nine years. I used to teach middle school and high school in Riverside, but when I moved to Los Angeles, I was able to get another credential for Special Education - and now I love it! At first, I went to school to become a lawyer, but I found teaching to be so much more fun! I attended the University of California - Riverside (UCR) for my BA in Political Science/Law & Society with a minor in Music, the University of California - Los Angeles - School of Law (UCLA), and the University of Southern California (USC) for my Masters of Arts in Teaching Social Science. In the coming years, I plan to go back to school to earn a Doctorate in Education. Recently, I was chosen to become a ClassDojo Ambassador for Los Angeles!

Distance learning has been both a blessing and a burden. I am loving the fact that I can work from home, but I know that my teaching practice would be much more effective in the classroom due to the student population I support. I have been able to connect with all of my students, but even though we're using online learning, I have problems with attendance! I have been trying to keep my students engaged by bringing in virtual field trips, fun games, and dancing. 

Prior to COVID, I was often found at Disneyland or other theme parks with my husband. We used to have date nights every Tuesday at the AMC at Universal City Walk because of the discount movie tickets. My husband is a youth pastor at our church - so I really do miss hanging out with our youth group in person. 

New COVID skills I've picked up were using Zoom and Google! I think I've gotten a pretty good hang on it so far. Oh, another new skill has been personalizing things! I purchased a Cricut machine and now in my free time, I personalize Starbucks cups! 

[Katherine Caneba]

Hello everyone! My name is Katherine and I am a school nurse at Los Angeles Unified School District, currently working remotely; this is my first year with LAUSD, after 4 years with previous school districts in Northern California (Bay Area). Since I am not a classroom teacher and I don't have a realistic hope of being able to complete the assignments, I have been permitted to audit the class. I will participate in the Zoom sessions, look at the readings, and watch the videos for personal enrichment, as well as post in the forums. Ultimately, I feel pleased and privileged to be here and to have this opportunity to learn!

When I was younger, I did a "gap year" (between high school graduation and undergraduate matriculation) as a Rotary Youth Exchange student from the US to South Korea. I lived in Busan, the second largest city on the southeastern coast of South Korea, where I went to Korean-language public high school and stayed with host families (or "homestays"). Since then, I continued to take Korean language classes on and off through the years as time allowed, I kept in touch with friends abroad, and I continued seeking out learning opportunities when possible. It has been a fascinating journey for me to live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area and now Los Angeles, where East Asian immigrants, cultures, and politics contribute so much to the diversity of these regions.

Outside of work, I dedicate my time to:

1. training in martial arts: Filipino Martial Arts (Kali/Eskrima/Arnis), Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Silat, and basic Muay Thai; and
2. language study: Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog

After Coronavirus restrictions started, I have also been taking acting classes via Zoom since May 2020. It’s been a great way to understand myself further, both inside (internal emotions) and out (physical presentation).

[Author]

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