Teaching a 'calling,' first grade teacher says

Monica Saldana said she has had to learn to adapt to a new place and school in many ways, but she is excited to join the family at Windham Elementary School as a first grade teacher.

Saldana comes from a small town in Texas, Sinton. She received her bachelor's degree at Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 2010.

"I taught two years in Texas then moved to Tennessee with my husband who is in the military," Saldana said. "I taught first grade in Tennessee for six years while we were stationed at Fort Campbell. My husband recently got selected for flight school at Fort Rucker, and now I am teaching first grade in Alabama."

She and her husband have three children, and she said her favorite hobbies include playing with her children, running and shopping.

Saldana said she knew she wanted to be a teacher as a child, and most of her family also teaches.

"My mom was a teacher for 25 years, so I was always around her when she was at work and at home doing things for school," she said. "Three of my siblings are teachers as well. Teaching has always been my calling and a passion."

To prepare for her time at WES, Saldana said she had to adjust to the new community and curriculum. She said other teachers and the school's administration have helped make the changes easy.

"Moving into a new classroom from a different state was quite the experience," she said. "I had to learn a new curriculum and adjust to a new environment. However, it’s been such a smooth transition. I was able to learn a lot from veteran teachers who were also very helpful at helping me get adjusted.

"It also helps when administration is supportive and willing to help in whatever way they can."

She said she hopes to lead her students to be strong in reading and math this school year.

"(I hope) to have all my students reading on grade level," she said. "I received a fair amount of students who need support with reading and math, and I know that I was placed here for a reason to help them grow. At the end of the year, I want my students to be confident readers and mathematicians."

For herself, Saldana said she hopes to leave the school prepared for the next week so she can better help her students be successful.

"A goal I have for myself is to leave work every Friday prepared for the week ahead of me," she said. "I want to have all of my materials prepared so that way I am set up for a smooth week of teaching. When my work is organized, I know my students will be set up for success."