Greetings Everyone,
Thanks for stopping by my personal corner on the web! I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Mariely Sanchez and I am currently serving as a fourth grade teacher and grade level chair at David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center (DLJK8). I have been teaching fourth grade students at DLJK8 since 2007 in the general, inclusion, and gifted instructional settings and it has been a most rewarding experience. I'm currently teaching gifted students which is an area I am most passionate about. I'm proud to be a part of the DLJK8 family and I was honored when I was chosen as the Teacher of the Year during the 2009-2010 school year.
Prior to being a fourth grade teacher, I served as the intermediate Reading Coach (or Reading Specialist) for grades 3-5 at Lakeview Elementary for the 2006-2007 school year. During that school year, I was elected as the Teacher of the Year at Lakeview Elementary. It was truly an honor. Being a Reading Coach was an exciting experience for me and I learned a lot, but in my heart I still longed to be in my own classroom with my own group of students. That is why I decided to return to the classroom and share all my creative knowledge with my students. Before becoming a Reading Coach, I worked as a Teacher of the Gifted for 4 years (3 years at Liberty City Elementary and 1 year at Lakeview Elementary). I transferred to Lakeview Elementary, for the 2005-2006 school year, after working at Liberty City Elementary for 4 years. I had many rewarding experiences while working at Liberty City, first as a third grade teacher and then as a Teacher of the Gifted. I will never forget my Liberty City family as well as all the wonderful students I taught.
I have been teaching since 2001 and I am a graduate of Florida International University and Barry University. I hold a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education grades 1-6 with endorsements in ESOL and Gifted Education and a Masters of Science in Educational Technology Applications. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at Barry University and will begin my dissertation in the Fall of 2016. Not only am I an elementary school teacher but I'm also an adjunct professor at Barry University where I teach a course that helps teachers learn ways to integrate technology into reading instruction. Additionally, it gives me great pleasure to share that some of my website content was used in the publication of the book titled Why Culture Counts: Teaching Children of Poverty by Donna Walker Tileston and Sandra K. Darling in 2008 (published by Solution Tree) and Southwest University created a course packet for a Reading & Decoding course in 2009 using another part of my website content as well. In addition, the University of West Florida used my New Teacher Survival Guide in a symposium for graduates in 2008.
On a personal note, I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. I lived there until I was 10 years old. My family and I then moved to Miami, FL in 1987. I went to Lakeview Elementary during my fifth and sixth grade years (yes, the same school I taught in for 2 years after I became a teacher). I then proceeded to go to North Miami Middle and Miami Edison Senior High where I graduated with honors in 1995. I was given the privilege to go on an internship to Washington D.C. the summer after I graduated. This opportunity was given to me through ASPIRA's Public Policy and Leadership Program (APPLP). I lived in George Washington University and I interned with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the Senior Attorney's Office. That was truly an exciting opportunity especially to have been given to honor to sing Puerto Rico's National Anthem in Capitol Hill during the closing ceremony of this internship program. That was truly a memory I will never forget.
Above all these experiences, non have been more rewarding than becoming a mother. I am the proud mother of one energetic and loving boy. I cherish every moment that I spend with my son and it fills me with joy to see his beautiful happy smile everyday. I thank God every single day for the wonderful gift he has given me. The gift of being a mother to my son. Moreover, the gift of being a teacher to so many wonderful children. It's interesting because becoming a teacher was not my first choice in deciding what career path to take. I was originally a business major pursuing a Bachelors/Masters in Accounting and MIS. After three years of studies, I discovered that my true calling was teaching. I quickly changed majors and discovered the hidden treasures in being an educator. I can truly say that I have been blessed all around. Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to share a bit of myself. Feel free to continue to explore this website and don't forget to sign the Guestbook.
Sincerely,
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