Staying Positive and Taking On a New Opportunity

We first introduced you to Ms. Nancy Barajas in 2023, highlighting how she was making an impact on her students as a pre-k teacher. This year, however, she is taking on a new challenge by teaching second grade for the first time! Even though she had been a pre-k teacher for so many years and says that her heart will always be with pre-k, she is doing an amazing job in her new role. 

Part of the reason that she comes back to Perez year after year is the strong sense of community at the school. Recently, she has noticed that graduates of the school are returning to Perez more frequently to serve and volunteer. This strong sense of community is also present in her classroom. She says that she has a great group of students, and some of them even know her because she taught their siblings when they were in pre-k! 

Check out our recent conversation with Ms. Barajas below to learn more about how she is making this a great school year for both herself and her students!

Has this transition to a new grade been what you expected, or has it been more unexpected? 

It hasn’t been as much of a challenge as I expected! I was very nervous, but my colleagues have all been so supportive, and the classroom that I was taking over already had great systems in place. We also prioritize small class sizes for our primary grades at Perez, so having a fairly small class size also helped with the transition. 

What has your approach been to setting goals for your students now that you are teaching a new grade? 

I’ve been working closely with our other second-grade teacher, and she has provided a lot of insight into where students should be at the end of every quarter. Knowing the end goal helps me break down my work into smaller steps. The key is to not get too overwhelmed! Taking the time to plan out a good pace for my instruction makes all the difference. 

What is your top priority for the second half of the school year? 

Small-group interventions are going to be key to reaching our goals. I also want students to be doing a lot of writing and embedding writing in all subjects. Writing can be helpful even in subjects like math and science because it helps students go beyond recall and actually show the evidence they used to produce their answers. With our world being so technology-driven, I am also trying to find a balance and make sure we also have time where students have books in their hands instead of iPads. 

What advice would you give to other teachers who are teaching a new grade? 

Take a step back and make a checklist to help you prioritize your responsibilities. And also remember that we are a reflection of what our students are absorbing! I know that a new role can feel intimidating, but if you’re not confident in your instruction, your students are not going to get the most out of your lessons. Finally, try to manage your prep time really well! 

What is your message to your students? 

Always try your best, and remember that your best might not look like someone else’s best! You are the star of your learning, and it doesn’t matter what your friends or peers are doing. Your experience at Perez is all about you!