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A Little About Me

 

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Who am I?

¡Hola! My name is Angelica Alcaraz, and I am currently in my 11th year teaching Spanish at Victoria Soto High School.  I am married with two children, an 8 year old daughter and a 5 year old son, and I also have a 3 year old Husky named Russo.  They all keep me very busy, but I try to give myself some time.  Some things that I enjoy doing in my own time are watching and playing soccer.  If there is no soccer to watch, my go to TV watch options will be a Mexican Telenovela or any true crime show/series.  I don’t consider myself very creative, but one of my favorite hobbies is doing different types of arts and crafts.  When my kids have had themed parties, I have always researched decoration ideas and tried to recreate them myself.  I have made my daughter’s bows, and I have recently begun making my own press on nails (so much cheaper than paying for frequent manicures!).  Lastly, if I have already done all of the things mentioned above, the last thing you might see me do is read a novel, most likely in Spanish, but I read in both languages.  


Education


I have been teaching in the same school since I graduated from UIC in 2013 in the Gage Park community.  I have enjoyed teaching Spanish 1 for Native Speakers for many years now.  Being able to teach the same level for so many years has truly taught me so much, especially the need to always reflect and always try to improve what you already have for the next year.  It is something that keeps me refreshed in the field.  Also, I am very excited to have recently obtained my Bilingual Endorsement and how that will allow me to try something new in the future, should I wish to try something new.  Lastly, this is also my first year teaching an AP class, and even though I have many doubts and insecurities about being able to prepare my students, I am up for the challenge, and I am working really hard to be the teacher they need.


Technology

My relationship with technology could be much better than what it is.  I, honestly, wish I would be more tech savvy than how I actually am.  Part of the reason I chose to take technology classes is to be able to incorporate more technology in my classroom.  I had a coworker who used to call me grandma because I avoid technology as much as I could.  I still have the Iphone 10, I don’t really use any modern apps like Uber, Venmo, or Tik Tok, and I still have a 12 year old Ipad and Macbook.  At my school, every student has a chrome book, and I use it very minimally, usually just with Google Classroom or Kahoot is my usual.  I also use technology at school for listening activities in my classroom.  At home, I normally just use it to watch videos, tutorials, or listen to music.  I don’t even like to use my dishwasher!


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Comments

  1. NMZumpanoSeptember 1, 2023 at 10:29 AM

    Thanks for the great introduction, Angelica. Don't knock those 12 year old Macs- they are work horses! I am excited to see how you stretch your thinking about technology this fall.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robin HartsellSeptember 2, 2023 at 3:42 PM

    Angelica, I look forward to working with you this semester. I have had my MacBook Air for 7 years and wouldn't give it up for anything. Macs are awesome! I took Spanish in high school, college, and when I joined the foreign service. I have the utmost respect for Spanish teachers especially knowing that they had to listen to my accent.

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