Maribel - The Cheerful and Exhilarating Teacher
MARIBEL - The Cheerful & Exhilarating Teacher
In our household, Maribel is known as Joy, one of the personified emotions from the film Inside Out. She is always joyful, super positive, and is the life of the party. With her energy, you would never guess she is a Mamacita of four, (yes you heard that right), an elementary school teacher and she's also my sister. This isn't the reason I chose her to be my September Mamacita. I chose her because she is the most cheerful and exhilarating Teacher. In our family, she is constantly reminded how great a teacher she is and we truly believe she was born to teach. This belief has proven to be true by all of the letters she receives from her students and parents throughout the years.
Since September is recognized as back to school month, this is the best time to highlight how incredible she is. Currently, she is a fourth-grade teacher and aspires to be an Assistant Principal one day. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a Master's in Higher Education and Administration. Much like all of us Mamacitas, her road to where she is today wasn't in any way glamorous - here's her story.
IN HER OWN WORDS - as narrated to Gisset
In my early years of motherhood, I was pursuing my higher education. Those years were full of sacrifices, tears, and many late nights. Not only because I would stay up studying, but also because I had babies to take care of. When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I was in the process of completing my Masters in Higher Education and Administration. During my third pregnancy, I was clearing my teaching credential. Those years now seem like a blur, I had to learn to manage my time as a wife, Mama, Teacher, and student. I remember leaving my two-week-old daughter at home because I had to attend classes for my Master's program. I worked during the day, went to class at night, and still came home to take care of my daughters. Many times, I just wanted to quit. I felt so guilty and wondered if the sacrifice was worth it. But I knew this was all for the greater good of our family.
I teach in a low-income community, our classrooms are filled with students from all levels of education including children with special needs. As you could imagine, this only elevates the level of responsibility we carry on our shoulders to make sure they are all being taught the same things. Although our school provides additional support for those students, they remain included in all of our lessons and activities. I take pride in the dynamic I create with my students year after year. My students are taught the importance of building a family and we learn to stay loyal to one another. They each know their role and carry the responsibility to keep our family united. I, in turn, do what I can to keep them engaged and motivated throughout the school year. I sing them songs, makeup cheers (I was a cheerleader in high school), give them hugs and high fives daily.
I don't take my job as a Teacher lightly, I am fully aware of the impact I could have on a child just by being there for them. My daily goal is always to inspire and teach them to believe anything is possible. As much as I want to take credit for what I teach them, I believe they teach me so much more. They teach me patience, kindness, strength, but most importantly, they have taught me to never EVER give up on them. This school year in particular is testing my commitment to my students more than ever. Distanced learning brings its own set of challenges, especially in the community where I teach. But as we do every year, we will learn to become a family even if it's from a distance.
For all the Mamacitas out there - give yourself credit, you can do it. Sometimes it takes time but you always find a way. When people ask how I do it with four kids and teaching, my answer is always, "I don't know, I stay positive, remind myself to feel happy, and figure it out as I go. Things will never be laid out, you just figure it out and work with what you have."
As you can see Maribel is a force to be reckoned with and another example of the incredible drive all of us Mamacitas carry. She believes, “it's unrealistic to think there is a perfect Mama because we learn something new every day."
Our family is so proud of her.
Xoxo - G
