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My name is Jill Barbosa and this is my Website.
First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have been working at Hayward High School since 2006, teaching Health and Peer Assistance. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 1989. When I started teaching, I taught History, Language Arts, and Spanish in middle schools. I feel so blessed to have found Health. I am passionate about my subject matter and truly believe there is not a more important subject taught! My husband, Luis Gonzales, is also a teacher. He teaches Spanish at Moreau Catholic High School. I have two children. Sofia, my daughter, graduated from UCLA last year and is now working as the Dean of Students at BASIS in Austin. My son, Luis, is currently a senior at USC at the School of Cinematic Arts studying Film and Television Production. I am also very close to my mom who lives just a few blocks away from me in Castro Valley. Both my husband and I have big families that we are close to.
In addition to teaching and practicing mindfulness, some things I love doing are hiking, swimming, dancing, cooking, eating, being in nature, and being with friends and family. One of my favorite foods are pupusas. They are originally from El Salvador. I also love homemade chocolate chip cookies, preferably hot, out of the oven. I also enjoy doing crossword puzzles on line and playing ping pong with my husband. Music is also very important to me. It helps me relax and process emotions. Right now one of my favorite artists is Tems. Her music is very spiritual to me. My favorite song of hers is Free Mind. Kendrick Lamar is another favorite artist of mine.
Ms. Barbosa's Website
Ms. Barbosa's Website
Goals
My long-term goal is to retire by the time I am 61 years old.
My short-term goal is to drink one entire water bottle a day.
My Core Values
My Core Values
Love
Love
Love is an important value to me becaue it should guide everything we all do! Without love I don't think life is worth living.
Inner-peace
Inner-peace
Inner-peace is really a state of mind more than anything and I want to be able to access feeling free all of the time!
Growth
Growth
Growth is important because I value that things don't stay the same and we can all grow and become the best versions of ourselves!
Motivators
Motivators
Motivators
Motivators
Some people that motivate me are my kids and my students. I want to be a good role model for others, so that motivates me to stay healthy and strong.
Nelson Mandela has got to be the most motivating human being during my life time. He endured so much injustice and yet did not become angry or bitter nor did he give up. He inspires me like no other. I was lucky enough to see him in person when he came to Oakland in 1990. Here is a link to one of his speeches.
Music is also a huge motivator for me. I love many, many different artists and genres of artists. Right now Tems is my favorite artist. I was lucky enough to see her in person and actually got a hug from her! Crazy, right?!
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela is a powerful inspiration because although he was imprisoned for almost 30 years he did not become bitter. He came out of prison and became President of South Africa and changed the world.
My Students
My Students
I am so inspired by my students! They are so hard-working, courageous, and funny! They are my biggest motivation to be the best teacher I can possibly be!
Tems
Tems
Tems is a very motivational artist to me for many reasons. Most importantly because her music is profound, authentic, spiritual, and has a great vibe.
Musical Motivation Song
Musical Motivation Song
A song that motivates me when I need it most is, “I’ll Rise”, which is based on a poem by Maya Angelou and put to music and performed by Ben Harper. “I’ll Rise” has lyrics that inspire rising up above it all when your spirit has been crushed. For example: “you may shoot me with your words or cut me with your eyes still I rise, I rise” encourages staying above the pain others may inflict. The line, “from a past rooted in pain, oh Lord, we rise, we rise, we rise, rise, rise” motivates me because it reminds me of all of the people who have been through terrible tragedies but made it through them stronger than ever. Ben Harper’s performance of the song is also a source of inspiration for me. His voice is steeped with emotion which intensifies as the song goes on. Undoubtedly, “I’ll Rise” provides motivation even when facing demoralizing and degrading situations.
The Teen Brain
The Teen Brain
The Teen Brain
The Teen Brain
The two important processes that are happening in the teen brain are: Pruning and Myelin Formation. In pruning, the brain begins discarding neural connectors that are not being used. This is a "use it or lose it" principal. It is the brain's way of cleaning out what is not being used. As a teen, this means one should try as many new activities that you're interested in as possible like sports, music, arts, etc. If you don't learn it as a teen, it will be much more difficult to learn as an adult. Myelin formation is a special time in adolescent brain development in which a substance, myelin, is produced which makes the neural connections stronger and faster. This means teens learn about 3,000 times faster than adults. This is great for good things but a cautionary tale for bad things. Any bad habits formed as a teen will be protected by the myelin sheath which will make it hard to disconnect or "unlearn" later. As a teen then, its really important to learn new healthy habits and avoid unhealthy habits.
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