Ms. Angela O'Brien

I knew I wanted to be a teacher ever since 5th grade. My teacher, Mr. Howes, was a unique character who really shared his heart and passions with us. We felt valued as individuals, and inspired to think outside the box. I find myself teaching 5th grade now, and I take my role very seriously. Teaching is not just about the dissemination of information, but about guiding a generation of kids to be leaders and overall good people. What more important, challenging job is there?

As such, I seek to continue to learn. To be a teacher is to be a learner, and these days technology is at the top of the list of relevant topics. I am returning to the classroom after 3 years of working as a Teacher on Special Assignment in my district. It is important to me that I get up to speed on the tools and options available. I never forget, however, that what truly matters is the relationships we build with our students. Who knows which students will be inspired, challenged, and impacted by us? That's the magic of teaching!

I will be returning to a Virtual Academy in the South Bay Union School District, located near the US-Mexico border. It features a very diverse population of students, and a wonderful staff. Collaboration is such a bonus of being a teacher, and I enjoy sharing ideas and challenges to improve our practice. Never before have the challenges been so big, at least in my time as an educator. COVID-19 has shaken up our beliefs about what a school day looks like, and forced many of us to become distance learning experts overnight. Although I am certainly not an expert, I am striving to learn as much as possible. My students deserve it!