Salem Patch Teacher Spotlight: Maribel Morales

SALEM, MA – Teachers often work without recognition. They put in long hours, spend time planning lessons, and work to inspire and educate generations. Salem Public Schools nominated Maribel Morales, of the Nathaniel Bowditch School, for her tireless work in the community. Email taylor.rapalyea@patch.com to nominate a teacher in your community.

Read more about Morales in her Q&A with Patch:

• How long have you been teaching, and what subject(s), and grade(s)?

I have been teaching and directing education programs for 22 years in diverse communities and age groups. This will be my 8th year teaching in a public school system. I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd grades and have been teaching 5th grade for the past 4 years.

• What inspired you to teach?

My early childhood experience in school inspired me to become a teacher. I grew up in the early 1970’s in a poor community and attended segregated schools. These circumstances had a detrimental affect on the education I received and my learning. The school buildings I attended were dilapidated, there were little or no school supplies, classrooms were always overcrowded, there were an insufficient number of custodians and support staff, and there were too many demoralized and/or bitter teachers. In the face of these many challenges and injustices, I had some amazing educators who tried their best to bring educational justice to the children they taught. On the other hand, I unfortunately had a significant number of teachers who were frustrated or bitter with the demographic changes in the community and with their teaching careers and did little to help students succeed. On the contrary, the emotional abuse that those teachers heaped on students whose parents were often uneducated, poor, and/or immigrants contributed to exacerbating the problems. This caused a huge learning gap in my education that affected me throughout my schooling. The inequalities I encountered developed an inner passion to become a teacher and later, a resilience to persevere in challenging contexts. I developed a deep desire, a burden, to make a difference in the lives of children in communities that are not taken seriously or seen as a problem to be solved. I was motivated and inspired by a vision to ensure that the children I served did not suffer some of the inequalities and challenges I faced. Serving as a teacher to students that are often marginalized is my calling and a lifestyle. I have chosen to help educate the next generations in such communities because I know beyond the shadow of doubt that, although different methods and pedagogy may be needed, they can succeed as much as anyone else, and as such, expectations for them should not be lowered.

• Tell us about some of your favorite moments with your classes.

Some of my favorite moments in my class are seeing my students engage in rich discussion and learning from each other. I love to see how they rise to the challenge of rigorous standards and persevere. We recently studied memoirs as part of a unit in our English Language Arts. I challenged my students to deeply study the author’s craft and determine the theme of various memoirs. I was impressed to see how my students were able to learn the terminology, analyze the literature, and engage in academic discourse with one another. In addition, their analysis of the author’s craft influenced and inspired my students to write their own memoirs. Admittedly, a number of the kids pushed back at first. They complained that this level of analysis was “too much” and “too hard.” Some also felt that they didn’t have a story to tell - that their lives were not important enough. I was able to persuade some that those thoughts and feeling weren’t true. Others had to learn to persist through their negative thinking. In the end, however, it was a joy to see how my students showed discipline, perseverance, and joyful engagement throughout this unit of study. After the students published their pieces they felt very proud of their work. Parents were invited to our NBS Academic Showcase and my fifth graders were so excited to read their memoirs and teach their parents how to write a memoir. Many parents felt proud and some even shed tears as they read their children’s memoirs. These are the special moments in my class that I cherish. These are the kinds of special moments that renew my sense of purpose as an educator.

• What new initiatives or projects at school are you excited about?

I look forward to the opportunity to work with our new principal, Mr. Munoz, to help continue the vision of our school community. It is my hope to be part of new initiatives that will help our students flourish in their learning, grow to their fullest potential, and develop a new sense of pride for our school. I am also passionate and excited about the deep investment in the professional learning and collaboration that is taking place in our school to support the learning of our English Language Learners. I am anticipating a fresh start for the coming year and envision a bright future for the students of Nathaniel Bowditch and their families.

• Give us one fun fact that students may not know about you.

One fun fact about me is that I love clean comedy movies and that I wish I had a better sense of humor in the classroom. When I try to crack a joke my students laugh and say my jokes are lame. But I think they appreciate the effort.

• What do you wish people knew about teaching?

I wish people knew that teaching is a lifestyle that requires passion and deep conviction for justice. The majority of teachers teach because we truly want to make a difference in our community and nation. Teaching is far more than a paycheck and sustenance. It is a profession that should be treated with respect and appreciation. Teachers who care deeply about their students spend countless hours preparing for lessons and grading papers. We also use our personal income to cover the needs of our students when they lack resources. We love the students and families that we serve and value each child as if they were our very own. We teach because we love to teach and we love our students.

• Whom would you credit?

I would like to thank my husband and my children for their willingness to listen to my wonderful classroom stories and for the countless times that they have supported me and my students. In addition, I thank the amazing educators at the Nathaniel Bowditch, my peers, who serve our students and their families with dignity and respect. It is an honor to serve our NBS Community with them.

Image via Maribel Morales