By RYAN FISTEL
Spanish teacher Ms. Aviles joined the Jericho community with excitement for the new school year combined with a love of teaching. She is currently filling in for Ms. Vidal who is on maternity leave, and hopes to obtain a permanent position at the Jericho school district.
Ms. Aviles received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Education at Queens College. Having previously worked in Uniondale, Hauppauge and Forest Brook Elementary School, she believes that Jericho stands out from other schools because of its academic rigor.
She is astounded by how much she has learned in just six weeks of teaching in the middle school and high school. Ms. Aviles noticed that her middle school students enjoy working in pairs, whereas her high school students prefer to be independent.
She believes in giving her students the freedom to choose how they want to learn and strives to make her classroom as enjoyable as possible. Junior Eldwen C. said, “Ms. Aviles’ class is very engaged, and everyone is always interested in what they are learning.”
Ms. Aviles attempts to motivate her students by using games and interactive lessons to keep them interested in what they are learning. Eighth-grader Zhoutong Z. said, “Ms. Aviles is a really good teacher.”
It is important for Ms. Aviles to engage her students, whether as a whole class or one on one.
Outside of school, Ms. Aviles enjoys nature, walks, yoga and exercise. She believes that even on a stressful day, you can find peace by taking things one day at a time and simply breathing.
Curriculum Associate Dr. Lionel Chan believes that Ms. Aviles, along with the other new hires, will positively impact the Jericho community. “Ms. Aviles really cares about students, and it shows,” said Dr. Chan.