Letter of Introduction

For the past twelve years I have been working with underserved students at both middle and high school level at Woodburn Success Alternative High School. My first four years at Success I worked in the office as the Home/School Contact and office manager. Prior to this I worked three years at the middle school level with the special education program at French Prairie Middle School. For the last seven years I have been teaching at the high school level, and now this is my second year as the Lead Teacher (TOSA) teacher on special assignment.

This has all given me an opportunity to use my knowledge and skills as well as personal past experience. I work with students that come from: broken homes, teen pregnancy, gang involvement, homelessness, alcohol and/or drug use, juvenile crime, and low socioeconomic status. Life today can be difficult for many students and sometimes that is hard to deal with when you do not have positive adult support. Until we meet those needs and give that student the time of day, that student will not grow nor will we. As said by Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade- Note to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete (2010) heal the trauma. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1gwmkgFss As a high school dropout and leaving the country to marry and then becoming a teen parent led me to start my career from the bottom; evaluating where I am at now is the story I share with my students. My students see that I am living proof that even though we may hit rock bottom it is possible to overcome all obstacles and barriers that confront us and/or that we create as human beings by the choices and/or decisions we make. I believe that all that these students need is to know that we truly care about them. If you focus on peoples weaknesses, they lose confidence (Conchie and Rath 2008) this is what their life is lacking. They have not had a responsible, disciplinary adult guide them or even counsel them and that is where others and I get involved. Sometimes a student just needs a listening ear that he/she can confide in. I will continue to serve as support for my students and I try my best everyday to guide them in the right path. I tell my students that no person is perfect and that we all make mistakes. From our mistakes and errors is how we grow; life is a learning process. Every day is a new day to proceed and try again, to correct what maybe did not come out right yesterday. I teach them the importance of being respectful, honest, responsible citizens in our community, and to always be accountable for ones actions is how people succeed and get out of a rut. When the world seems hopelessly confusing and nothing is working, reframing is a powerful tool for gaining clarity, regaining balance, generating new options, and finding strategies that make a difference. (Bolman and Deal 2009, p 334)

I know that it takes passion for what we believe in and compassion to help those in need. I always make sure that my students know that there is no excuse on why someone cannot succeed. We all have to look beyond current circumstances and walk forward. There are options and opportunities for a positive and safe life for everyone. It is my responsibility as a teacher, but also the school and community to advise students of the many programs that are out there for them to take advantage of. Having worked with my co-workers for the last twelve years has been an honor. Overall, I am a better person and educator. The relationship that I have developed with my colleagues has made the teaching life so much easier. The collaboration and ideas that are shared amongst us is what has made me stronger and confident as a teacher. I have learned to plan, organize, and design units and lesson plans for diverse students. Not to mention team teaching with experienced teachers of 15 to 30 plus years! The intellect and ability of skills is amazing! The respect and honesty that we have for each other has made a difference in the work place. We notice it, but most of all, students have commented on the positive vibe we give. Together we are making an extraordinary team and have made an extreme difference in our community. This has all been an experience that no one or thing can take away from me. My present goal is to be an administrator. On several occasions I have had the opportunity to hold the role of administrator in our building. With this I attended secondary principal meetings at the district office, planned and coordinated parent/student/teacher conferences, took the initiative to be in charge of our building presentation during a district wide in-service on What is a small school? supervised the building, led staff meetings, have been a part of our school wide Professional Learning Community where as a team of staff we have been working on aligning curriculum to the Common Core Standards and also having been lead teacher in the hiring process of a new teacher for our building. I know this was just a taste of the real thing, but it was great experience. I look forward to learning on how to work at decision-making, how to find additional funding through grants, an understanding of school finance and budgeting. Also, continuing to learn new strategies on how to meet the needs of students and parents within the building and out in the community. This will also lead me to better my relationships with colleagues and staff throughout the district. This is why as I move on to fulfill my goal, I will always look back remembering where I came from and how I got to where I am. Not forgetting this will always be a work in progress this is why as I grow as a professional educator, this will be reviewed and revised as needed. Therefore, I continue to walk forward to the many adventures and challenges I have yet to encounter. I am blessed!

Sincerely, Yolanda cites: Cordiero, Paula A. and William G. Cunningham. (2013) Educational leadership: A bridge to improved practice. Rath, Tom, and Conchie, Barry. (2008) Strengths-based leadership. Bolman, L. and Deal. T. (2009). Edition Four Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership.