Teaching Gypsy

When you look up the word gypsy in the dictionary it states, "a person held to resemble a gypsy, especially in physical characteristics or in a traditionally ascribed freedom or inclination to move from place to place (www.dictionary.com)."  When I look back at my short career in education, I can without a doubt affirm that life has transformed me into a teaching gypsy.


I started off my career in education when I was working on my master's at Texas A&M University. My mentor professor, Dr. C. Marshall, was going to be out and he asked me, his first year graduate student, to lecture his Natural History of Vertebrates class on the evolution of the kidney.  I spend hours going over my lecture, taking notes, adding examples, and prepping for my big showcase.  The day of the lecture I was in the lecture auditorium at the podium while the power point was being displayed and I gave freshman college students about an hour and a half lecture on kidneys. Who knew I would eventually get so excited about teaching kidneys! I was on a personal high and it was that moment in time that I decided a career in education was definitely in my future.


After receiving my master's I moved to Miami.  Since then I have been blessed with many educational opportunities, or what I like to call, steps in my educational journey.  In Florida, I worked as a science coach at Homestead Senior, mentored freshman students through the IMPACT Miami Science Museum summer  program, taught Integrated Science and Biology at Somerset Academy where I became the science department chair, Earth Day coordinator, and Fairchild Challenge sponsor.


My next adventure brought me back to the sweet state of Texas.  I worked as the Biology PLC leader at Stafford High School and ran the school science club.  During my summers off, I mentored students in the DREME camp and learned about medical genetics at MD Anderson.  My gypsy nature then brought me back to my alma mater, Bellaire High School where I worked with an amazing set of science teachers.  Here I perfected working with ESL students in science and I learned what a true PLC, or professional learning community, was all about.  My class expectations were also increased as I taught truly rigorous PAP classes. I also became part of the technology Power Up Teacher Leader Corps since Houston ISD was piloting 1:1 in many of its high schools.  Here my passion for technology was awakened.


I received an opportunity to take on a magnet coordinator position at East Early College High School in Houston and stayed in that position for half a year until my husband's job moved us back to my birthplace, little old Brownsville.  I finished off the year teaching Aquatic Science and Anatomy and Physiology at Veterans Memorial until Los Fresnos offered me the district's secondary science strategist position which is where my gypsy heart has happily landed.


10 paper cranes for the 10 educational journeys throughout my gypsy teaching career.

Last week I was reflecting back on my educational journeys throughout my year in education and I made a paper crane for each of the ten educational journeys that have made me who I am today.  Although I LOVE my science strategist position at Los Fresnos, who knows where the wind will blow me next as my teaching gypsy adventures continue...

A short video tutorial if you are interested in making your own paper cranes to reflect back on your educational journeys.