Sweetwater ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year:
Renee Carey, Sweetwater Intermediate School
Grade Level: 4th
Subject Area: All
Total Years Teaching: 16
Total Years in SISD: 11
I am proud to be a fifth generation teacher. My great great grandmother, great grandmother, grandmother and multiple aunts have been and are teachers.
When I decided to become a teacher, I don’t think it surprised anyone. Teaching is definitely in my blood. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being a school teacher. My grandparents gave me a giant chalkboard when I was in 1st grade. I can remember spending hours ‘playing school’ with my two little brothers. Although my mother is not a school teacher, she has influenced the way I teach as well. She has spent her life teaching others how to help themselves. Her caring qualities and concern for others have taught me to look beneath the surface of my students and into their hearts. Building strong emotional bonds with my students has always been an essential part of my teaching.
I start off every school year by telling my students that our class is one big family, and our school year is a special journey. Each student that walks through my door becomes my "baby" for 180 days, and I become their “mom at school”. I explain to them that I will spend more time with them, than I will with my own biological children. I use this precious time with my students to teach, push, and encourage them to be all that they can be. I strive to treat every child the way I would want my own children to be treated. By the end of the school year, we have shared many ups, downs and celebrations as a class. When our journey is complete and the bell rings on the last day of school, it is often very difficult for me to give up the special relationships and bonds I have established with my students. Teaching school is not only about mastering and teaching a curriculum; it is about nurturing and meeting the needs of the children in your classroom.
Throughout my teaching career, I have worn many hats. In addition to teaching, I have driven a school bus, served on numerous committess, coached UIL events, worked as a cheerleading sponsor and helped with the SIS Jump Rope Team. Most recently, I completed my Masters in School Counseling. I look forwarded to utilizing my skills as a counselor to reach and help many more students in the future. I have truly been blessed to have spent the last 16 years of my life having the opportunity to get to know and love so many children. Although teaching is a very demanding and sometimes difficult job the benefits are enormous.
Sweetwater ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year:
Tina Melendez, Sweetwater High School
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject Area: Spanish
Total Years Teaching: 8
Total Years in SISD: 6
I remember when I was a little girl my father telling me that he could not help me with my homework. At the time, I was about a second grader and had missed school because I was sick. My mother knew how much I wanted to be in school no matter the circumstances. It was that moment that made me realize that I would have to get an education and how important school was to a person's life.
The days I role-played a teacher with my siblings and cousins remain fresh in my memory to this day. It wasn't always clear to me if I really wanted to become a teacher because I also remember wanting to be a famous artist or attorney. Now, looking back I am convinced that being an educator is where God wanted me to be content.
I teach because I believe that I can make a difference in the lives of the students that walk into my Spanish classes every day. I teach Spanish for the love of the language but my number one goal is to teach students to the best of my ability. Being an educator is a rewarding career even on your worst day. There are days when I see the excitement in their faces and body language when a concept I've taught just struck like a lightning bolt. "Oh, I get it now!" This is such an amazing feeling because it is God's way of saying to me that I am doing what I am meant to do with my life. We have the ability to broaden students' minds to the unlimited amount of knowledge to assist them in becoming successful adults in the real world. I believe that as my students' teacher I must be graceful, patient, encouraging, and as understanding as possible to every one of them. If I do these things, then my hope is that one day they will be successful adults. In my time of once being a student and now being the teacher, I have learned that I am not supposed to know everything there is to know, but how to find the answer. Unfortunately for my parents, times were different and education wasn't as important. No one stepped in to encourage or mentor them. Now, I believe that it is within me to encourage and mentor my students.