Some might say that I have skated through life, but I’ve learned a lot, and if you learn, you must teach. When I was 17, I thought I would grow up to be a skating instructor. 
Instead I am using this website to build my expertise about creating a website while practicing my website skills. I want to be able to implement all the powerful features of the WordPress website online software when our new website is ready for takeoff. American Institute for History Education is designing the new website for San Joaquin Valley Council for the Social Studies. Thank you Steve Graham, Kevin Brady and many others! 
At 35 I finally achieved my life goal, and began my teaching career at Visalia Christian Academy teaching a 1-2 combo class. Then I taught 5th grade the next year.
One of my former fifth grade students, Stacy, now teaches history and another student, Heather, has a high school aged daughter who participated in Mock Trial this year.
When I started teaching, I was still new to California and I spoke no Spanish, but my first public school position was as the fourth grade bilingual teacher at Castle Rock School in Woodlake, California. 
The last time I saw my student, Joel, he was getting ready to go to law school. I’ll never forget when he fell out of his seat laughing at the chapter in Sideways Stories from Wayside School about the student who was getting a tatoo. I could hardly read, I was laughing so hard.
Next I fell in love with Math Matters, a training offered by Tulare County Office of Education that all Castle Rock teachers were required to have. That next year I applied for a position as a math coach at Tulare County Office of Education. I didn’t get it, but Migrant Education hired me as a Migrant Program Coordinator to create a program similar to Math Matters and train teachers in small rural schools. When that ended, I began designing curriculum and training the home preschool educators in the Migrant MEES Program.
After five years with Migrant Education, I applied for the position as a History Consultant for Educational Resource Services at Tulare County Office of Education. I have been in that position nearly 11 years, and I learn something new nearly every day. My work varies from collaborating with professors from U.C. Davis and California State University, Fresno with the Teaching American History Grant to co-coordinating student events such as Mock Trial. 
These students smile before they present their case before an actual trial judge at the Tulare County Courthouse against a team from another Tulare County high school. They never know what questions either the other team’s attorney will ask or the judge during the pre-trial motion. 
I am constantly amazed at the wonderful opportunities that have come my way during my career as a teacher and consultant. They are beyond my wildest expectations. I live each day to learn something new, and now to share what I am learning and doing with you through this website. I hope that you will read it and give me feedback as I learn. Most importantly I hope you will become my friends if you are not already. I’m bombarding my friends with each post! Thank you patient people!
you sound like the sort of teacher every parent wishes their child to be lucky enough to get
Thanks. I enjoyed teaching.
I love your enthusiasm for teaching! I taught for 11 years (Spanish) and loved every second! Some of my students now are Spanish teachers and a few are living abroad using their Spanish which warms my heart!
Que bueno! A mi me gusta espanol. (I don’t know how to use the n symbol in a reply!!! I didn’t have much formal Spanish – one summer 4 week course and a 10 week course the second fall I taught my bilingual class, but I love the language. I don’t practice it as much as I used to when I worked for Migrant Education. One of my best teacher friends taught Spanish at the high school, and I brought my 4th graders over once a week, and the kids worked together on Spanish writing projects. The high school kids had better grammar, and my kids were native speakers. It was a great experiment.
What a wonderful way to teach kids and to make them feel important! Love what you did! Bravo! Besitos xo
Muchas gracias. I have a funny story. I was walking with my Spanish speaking neighbor, and she was telling me something, Then she kept saying, “Gracias, adios.” Or that’s what I heard. Finally I asked her why she kept telling me goodbye. She laughed and clearly pointed from herself to the sky – a dios.
There are lots of funny stories like that! That’s why I love sharing our connections!
Love the giggle ~ gracias a ti!
hahaha merci beaucoup!
de rien!
Depues cinco anos de estudiar franes, pienso que hablo espanol mas mejor de frances, pero no puedo hablar o escribir mucho en los dos linguajes. You can laugh at my terrible grammar, syntax etc, but it’s fun to see if I can even remember ANY vocabulary! Good thing I’m blogging in English!
Mi padre hablo frances pero a mi no me gusta hablar en frances. Prefiero espanol. Vivi en Espana hace 20 anos. Hablas/escribes bien!
Thanks for signing up and liking my posts. Congrats on your wonderful career- I agree teaching is a gift. I miss being in the classroom, but liked my work as a consultant and am now enjoying the flexibility of writing-and keep a toe in education via writing. You might be interested in checking out my other book- On the Trail of the Ancestors: A Black Cowboy’s Ride Across America– complete study guide on my website– http://www.lisakwinkler.com
The book engaged students in Newark, NJ..it might be useful to you or colleagues–
What a great title. I want to read it already! What is your job as a consultant? Are you working for a private company or public school system. Do you know Anthony Fitzpatrick? He lives in NJ, and just started working for the state dept. of ed, but before that he worked for AIHE. He wrote Social Studies Can Be Spectacular. He has some wonderful instructional strategies.
So I’ll check out your book today! I look forward to getting better acquainted.
There is nothing quite as invigorating as being around young people, is there? I love hearing about other teachers and the wonderful things they are doing in children’s lives.
I agree, and I guess that’s why Amy sent me your link.
I always thought that teaching, together with healing, are the only jobs worth doing to start with … there is nothing more rewarding than to nurture one to light of knowledge, and/or light of health!
It all relates to light, my lantern friend, Daniela! We are to be the light of the world, as I understand our role. If I can light up someone’s life, even for just a second, then I have partially fulfilled my role!