Tasha Candela

Since sixth grade, when dialup Internet became a novelty, I simultaneously became a computer geek. Countless hours have been spent using search engines to locate information, communicating on Internet Relay Chat, and navigating rivers and fighting off thieves on the Oregon Trail. Fast-forward to today where I am reading hundreds of online articles per week, networking with people across the globe on Twitter and Facebook, and using a slingshot to fling animals into various structures in Angry Birds. The types of activities that have preoccupied me have adjusted little. The real change has been the access time. Thank God for high-speed Internet. After taking several computer classes in high school, I decided that a career as a business teacher would be the perfect fit. After all, I was the one racing around the classroom helping my classmates with Excel formulas and business letter formats. Because of my passion for learning, I continue to develop a solid personal network and research new methods to reach my students every day.

Although I have a clear track record with parent/community involvement, ongoing professional development, and working collaboratively with colleagues to improve teaching and instruction, my rationale for these accomplishments was simply to better prepare my students. It is not enough to write that I love my career. Teaching is such a noble professional and I cherish every minute of it.