Dania Borrero

One of the most wonderful sounds I've been able to hear is my students say "Wow", "Cool", "It worked!".  A couple of weeks ago I was so ecstatic that I was able to hear those delightful words from quite a few of my students as they walked into the room. What brought this surprise? Let me explain... A few weeks before, I had decided to change the course in which my class usually was executed. From a flipped classroom, I decided to take the focus on learning information because I, their teacher, gave it to them, and put that focus on them learning information and executing labs that they wanted to do. I felt that they could take ownership of their learning, open their minds and create a love of learning. I did this in the hopes that this would bring in those students that were otherwise disconnected and not focused. Some of it worked, some of it didn't, and I've decided to keep on this idea of creating a love of learning for all, but since this...

Today's posts is about another out of the blue, inspired topic. What inspired me this time? Not on a very positive note, but I've been calling it (for dramatic effect) "that horrible thing that happens tomorrow." Going back to work to teach early Monday morning after a 2 week winter vacation is not really a bad thing, and I'm excited to try out some new ideas, however, the reality is, sleeping all day, eating whatever/whenever I'd like, binge watching TV, watching movies (Star Wars of coarse and Daddy's Home for comedic relief), and hanging out with family and friends was really very nice. Here are a couple of pictures of my husband and I in our celebratory elements. A few nights ago, I was telling my husband how my sleep cycle is out of "wack" because of my vacation. I explained to him that I needed to go to sleep early and wake up early to prepare for "that horrible thing that happens on Monday."  I have yet ...

Upon my thoughts as a teacher, reflecting on what I have done the first half of the year, and what I can do to be innovative and engaging, I begin to plan for the second half of the year... on the first day off of my winter break.  WHY CAN'T I JUST ENJOY MY TIME OFF? I am ambitious, I am reflective, I crave professional growth, and I honestly like planning! I have begun to read "The Innovator's Mindset" by  @ gcouros  and I realized that I have dwindled my sense of wonder and creativity in my own teaching, that I am not the type of teacher that is encouraging my own student's creativity, and curiosity. There are a few students that enjoy my class, and there are a few that don't, and some that just go through the motions.  I had ideas of changing the way my course is run by creating a student-centered, peer-teaching, sharing classroom. I thought it would be a great idea to show my class grabber videos on the different sub-topics we cover in...

Being a teacher, friends and family see my schedule and think I am one lucky person to have such an amazing schedule. Who wouldn't want every major holiday off, one week off for thanksgiving, two weeks of for winter break, one week off for spring break, and two months off for the summer? I cannot say that I don't appreciate and feel blessed by having those days off. I cannot say that it is not a nice benefit of being a teacher, but it is not why I am a teacher. People may also think that the schedule of teacher may be the best there is, but what people do not realize is how much teachers actually work. Only the ones that live it, or the ones that live with teachers, understand what it truly takes to be a teacher. Granted, there are those that work only between the doors going in and going out of the school building. There are teachers that do the bare minimum and get by just fine. On the other hand, there are those teachers who are truly passionate, want to be better, and gro...

In a "teacher's" world at the end of 2015, we are called and challenged to change the way we teach our students, in order to develop future leaders of the world that is going to look far different than the one we currently live in. As I sit and proctor students taking midterms, I realize that what I have just done, because of the directive of only what has been done, is in no way shape or form, encouraging students to be creative, innovative, or forward thinkers. I have asked them to remember what they have learned, answer questions on a sheet of paper, and apply it to a scenario that means nothing to them, but a grade on a test.  A self-imposed (and not so self-imposed by the message others in the field are sending)  challenge proposed by our future way of teaching is not overcome due to my own limitations based off of norms for what has been required when giving students midterms to test their knowledge. What would accomplish meeting and surpassing that challenge w...