MGSD Teacher of the Year cultivates ‘love of learning’

MIKE FUHRMAN

The day in Aracelis Perez’s classroom at South Elementary School starts with lots of smiles and a few hugs. As students put down their backpacks and start word-searching for their names, the second-grade teacher checks on their progress with a few quick “peeks” at answers for those who need a little help.

The new year has only just begun, and students are still adjusting to teacher expectations and the routine of the school day. There is a warm and friendly atmosphere in the classroom, and students quickly learn that there is time and space for everything. There is space on the back wall to display outstanding student work. On the other wall are reassurances that “it’s okay” to feel sad, think differently, make mistakes, take a break, and ask for help.

Perez, who has been teaching for 18 years and was recently named Teacher of the Year in the Mooresville School District, is still getting to know her new students. He connects with one through the Pokemon characters on a child’s T-shirt, encourages another in his native Spanish, and takes a few seconds to tie a loose lace on another student’s shoe.

At the beginning of formal classes, Snoop Dogg is one of the characters who speaks daily on the digital board, encouraging students to believe in themselves and take control of their own happiness.

Between lessons there is time for stretching, a hydration break and even a little dancing. Students join in on the action as the teacher shows them that she can floss, mop and wipe with the best of them. He also does well in Harlem Shake and Running Man.

Students move easily between desks and the colorful mat at the front of the room, picking up and putting away materials as instructed. They listen carefully to the teacher, fidgeting with about as much intensity as you would expect from second graders. A few minutes later they are learning the narrative and working through “Chester’s Way.” When she asks them to do so, they read the text on the board confidently and in unison.

“Pat yourself on the back and say good job,” Perez tells students after they finish reading on the whiteboards. “And tell your neighbor, ‘Good effort.’ “

“I felt like home”

Perez’s journey to MGSD began with an invitation from a friend to visit Mooresville in 2019. Perez was born in New York City and raised in the Dominican Republic, where her parents are from. She was teaching in Louisiana when a longtime friend who worked for MGSD invited her to celebrate Dominican Day. She visited South Elementary School and fell in love. “As soon as I walked in, I felt at home,” she said.

After meeting with then-principal Mark Cotton, he offered her a teaching position.

The rest, as they say, is history. Perez, her husband Jose, and their boys, Jonathan and Josue, moved to the area for the 2020-2021 school year. (Many of her family members, including her parents, moved to the area.) Last spring, she was recognized by her colleagues as South Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, which qualified her for the MGSD Teacher of the Year award.

Elementary principal Cheryl Dortch said among Perez’s many strengths is her “student-centered approach” to teaching. By focusing on the needs, interests and abilities of her students, Perez teaches them how to be active participants in their own educational path, the principal said.

Dortch also praised Perez for teaching lessons in a way that appeals to a variety of learning styles, and her assessments are designed to provide ongoing feedback so students can reflect on their progress and set personal goals.

“By prioritizing student voice and choice, her approach fosters deeper engagement with the material, cultivates a love of learning, and prepares students for lifelong, independent learning,” the principal explained.

When you watch Perez in action, her true love and care for her students is evident. Dortch said she actively engages with her colleagues and is willing to provide support that is both empathetic and focused on finding solutions.

“Anticipates potential obstacles, shares knowledge generously, and collaborates while focusing on shared goals. He is the greatest advocate for his students and colleagues!” Dortch added. “It creates a positive and respectful work environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to be their best.”

“I really wanted to have a positive impact.”

Perez, a first-generation college student, said her path to becoming a teacher began when she was 11 years old and helping at a Bible school in the Dominican Republic. On the third day, she noticed that several younger students were watching her. This moment inspired her and continues to inspire her.

“I really wanted to have a positive impact on others,” she said.

During the MGSD convocation, when she was named Teacher of the Year, Perez emphasized the important role her parents played and continue to play in her life.

“They wanted me to choose any profession or career I wanted. I remember they set an example for me. They told me that if I wanted to be a “limpiabot” I could become a shoe shiner. Their request was for me to focus on being the best “limpiabot” I could be. I don’t compare myself to others, but I am the best I can be.

In an interview, she said that her faith and religious beliefs also shaped her career. Inspired by a fragment of the Letter to the Colossians, she tries to “do everything” with her heart.

“Every child and every family I come into contact with has a reason for this,” she said.

Partly for this reason, she inspires her students to become the best versions of themselves that they can – just as her parents inspired her. On a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, she met a student she taught many years ago. Today this student is studying medicine.

Describing her students as “the heart and soul of why” she teaches, Perez told her colleagues that each student she meets has left a lasting mark on her life, and she is “infinitely grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with them.”

She stated that many other MGSD teachers are worthy of this award and she will proudly represent them in the coming year.

“I’m not the biggest expert and I don’t know everything,” she said. “I am not perfect, I make mistakes… Like many of you, I am learning in my classroom and sometimes I feel proud of the process and the results, and other times I just manage to get through it and give myself a little grace. Like you, I try my best every day, every day for every child.