This is who I am

Lea talks about what brought her to teaching – in particular at the Mather. She explains how she adjusts her teaching to the remote learning environment, recognizing its challenges as well as unique opportunities. And she describes her advocacy work which takes many forms and fills many hours well beyond a regular school day.

In this episode we meet Kennedy Omolo. He teaches math at the Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester. Kennedy talks about rising to meet the challenges of remote schooling: adjusting his teaching methods and routines to the fit the online classroom; responding to the academic and personal needs of his students; keeping up with the best online teaching platforms; and, guiding his students to be independent learners.

Sam TexeiraIn this episode, we meet Sam Texeira.  He teaches history to high school students at the Henderson Inclusion School in Dorchester.  The assistant teacher in the class is Matt Reggianini.  Sam talks about the trips he has taken to explore history firsthand; and how he brings back those experiences to engage students in a process of discovery that makes history meaningful to their lives.  He talks about his motivation to teach and what it means to him to be a teacher in relation to his community and the students in his classroom.

Dave RussellIn this episode, we meet Dave Russell.  He teaches middle school at the McKinley South End Academy.  The school serves students with special emotional, behavioral and learning needs.  Dave talks about the mutual support of the McKinley faculty; about the daily challenges of proving to his students that, despite tough circumstances, they really can learn, improve, and succeed. Dave also reflects on his steadfast efforts to improve his craft over a 34-year teaching career.

Lindsay ThornquistIn this episode, we meet Lindsay Thornquist.  She teaches sixth grade math and Spanish language arts at the Hurley, a K–8 Spanish-English immersion school located in the South End.  Lindsay talks about teaching Spanish not just as language instruction but as a cultural experience.  She describes how the curriculum focus on immigration and identity allows her to explore themes that are of great personal importance to both her and her students.  She also reflects on how she learned to use her own frustration as motivation to organize teachers and, together, solve pressing issues in bilingual education.

Lauren BrettIn this episode, we meet Lauren Brett. She teaches physics at Charlestown High School. Lauren talks about the challenges and rewards of project-based learning. She reflects on how being a mother has influenced her teaching—especially her relationships with the students and their families.

Michelle SimonIn this episode, we meet Michelle Simon; she teaches fifth grade at Mozart Elementary School. It’s a small K-5 school tucked away in a residential neighborhood of Roslindale. Michelle talks about a year of building trusting relationships with her students and their families and among her students. She reflects on how race impacts her teaching and on what it means to be a leader in her school.

Garcie Champagne. In this episode, we meet Garcie Champagne, she’s a teacher at BATA Boston Adult Technical Academy in the bay village neighborhood. BATA is an alternative high school. It serves older students who are motivated to acquire knowledge and skills that they need to complete their high school degrees and achieve their goals after graduation, whether that’s college, employment, or community service. The school’s mission says that their work "is deeply rooted in social, racial and economic justice." Garcie talks about the power of theater to teach essential language skills and about letting her students take ownership of their own theater productions; she tells about her advocacy work on behalf of her students and describes her teaching as part of a personal activism.

In this episode, our first in Season 2 of Teachers on Teaching, we meet Kim Kulasekaran, a special needs teacher at the Carter School on the border of Lower Roxbury and the South End. The Carter School serves students with severe intensive disabilities and complex health needs. Kim talks about teaching her students to communicate their needs and to engage in their lives with their families, teachers and fellow students. She describes how over the last several years the Carter has grown into a school that sets cognitively demanding goals for each student.

In this episode, we meet Marilú Alvarado, 11th grade Spanish Humanities teacher at the Margarita Muñiz Academy in Jamaica Plain. Opened in 2012, the Muñiz is the first dual-language high school in the Boston Public Schools. Marilú talks about her decision to become a teacher, about developing relationships with her students, and about her oral history project in Puerto Rico. Take a listen!