Featured Educator: Lauri Aliengena — Loves Children & Learning

FaCET-logo_300x300During the 2012-2013 school year, Lauri Aliengena experienced her second year of teaching third graders at Woodland Elementary School in Southwick, MA.  This past spring she became a recipient of the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award.  While she’s still early in her teaching career, Lauri’s responses to our questions reveal characteristics important to effective teaching — a love of children and learning.

What motivated you to become a teacher/educator?  I have known that I wanted to teach since I was a young girl.  I love learning and get very excited to share that with those around me.

 What support did you receive, or wish you had received, early in your career?  I am early in my career, and I am fortunate enough to have very supportive colleagues, but I do wish that someone would teach me the questions to ask and the steps to take to get particular testing done on students I feel have special needs.

 What keeps you enthusiastic about teaching/education, and where do you find inspiration?  I find my inspiration in my students.  I plan trying to create a fun and informative environment.  This in itself gets me excited because I cannot wait to see their receptiveness, reactions and interactions with the curriculum.

 Who has been a role model for you and why?  My best role models have been the wonderful veteran teachers that I have known whose continual effort, enthusiasm and curiosity have ensured that they are outstanding.

 What do you find helps you to effectively interact with students?  I love children, and I also love diversity (diversity in ethnicity, gender, family make-up, personality traits, etc.).  A classroom is the perfect place to find all of those things.

 What is some of the best advice you’ve been given? Or what is a favorite quotation?  Teaching has to be from your soul.  It’s not something you learn.  It’s who you are.

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