Ms. Macias joined the ELA department at DDCUS this year. Born and raised in Miami, Ms. Macias graduated from the University of Miami in 2020, majoring in English Literature with a double minor in Education and Journalism. She has always had a passion for writing and story-telling and one day hopes to be an author, but she has always desired to pursue a career in education. This new journey in DDCUS will mark her first year as an English teacher. 

How has your experience as a teacher in DDCUS been so far?

“It has been great so far. I transitioned from a law firm to a school, so it is a completely different environment and I’ve learned a lot. I like working with kids, and I like hearing their thoughts and opinions.”

Have you enjoyed the classes and the kids you’ve been working with?

“I do really enjoy my English classes. I teach English and yearbook, so one is an elective and one is a core class, so it’s a little bit different, but I teach mostly 10th grade and some freshmen, juniors, and seniors in my yearbook.”

How’s the yearbook class going so far?

“It is one of my favorite classes because I like how creative it is, and it helps me stay young hearing all of the trends and cool things the seniors want included.”

Do you have any previous experience teaching?

“I have taught before in a middle school classroom. I was working with a mentor during college because I minored in education so I had to do field hours, but I like high school better.”

Do you have any hobbies outside of school?

“I like writing. I would love to write and publish books one day, and I like playing instruments. I play piano and ukulele.” 

What is your favorite book, and what book would you like to read with your students?

“My favorite book of all time is a tie between 1984 by George Orwell and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls…both were summer reading books that I had to read in high school and they became my favorite books. A book I would like to read with my class is The Great Gatsby.”

How would you describe your teaching technique?

“I definitely try to pick up on the vibe of the class each day because each day is different. Everyone’s mood, feelings, and thoughts are different each day so I like to feed off of the energy that I get and then adjust my lessons based off of that. I always have a plan in mind. I’m always trying to get through the book and touch on the important plots and themes, but if someone starts a discussion based on something I hadn’t thought of before, I’ll run with it”.