Los Padillas with Miriam Martinez

This evening I met my mentor teacher, who I will be working with for the next several months in her Spanish-track, bilingual classroom. Her name is Miriam, and I like her a lot. She is Cuban, has a mac, wears colorful dresses, and seems real laid back about all the crazy crap we have to accomplish in the next semester.

Here is my bio in English that I just translated into Spanish for her to incorporate into the newsletter for parents.

My name is Amanda. I am 24 years old, and Albuquerque is my home.

I graduated from UNM in May, 2007 with a BA in English and a BA in Women Studies. I have also received diplomas from Spanish language schools in Buenos Aires, and Bariloche, Argentina.

My work involving children includes: Swim Lesson Instructor, Pre-School teacher, Orphanage volunteer in India and China, Girl Scout Camp Counselor, and most recently, ESL Teacher in the most northern provence of Inner Mongolia, China.

My hobbies include writing poetry and prose in grungy coffee shops, taking my Chinese pug “Nina” for walks, hiking and exploring Northern New Mexico, speaking Spanish, yoga, reading and nurturing my relationships with loved ones.

I want to become a teacher because I love working with children, and after some real life experience, I feel that being a teacher is the right livelihood for me. I am a compassionate and creative person, and feel I can best do my part in this world through education. I’ve traveled to many far off, exotic places on this planet, (and yes they are beautiful and interesting,) but it gives me gratification to think of doing good work in the community where I was raised; to help make Albuquerque a better place to learn and grow up, and to give back with the skills I have to offer.

I very much look forward to being a participant in this program, and hope I can form friendships with the other participants, staff and instructors. I am confident that this program will give me the skills and experience necessary to become an excellent teacher.

I look forward to working with Miriam's kindergarten class!