Tessa Gonzales

Hello, my name is Tessa Gonzales and welcome to my portfolio! I am a graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Education and certified to teach kindergarten through fifth grade in all content areas and sixth through eighth grade in English Language Arts. Additionally, I hold a certification in teaching English as a Second Language. I believe my qualifications along with my passion for teaching and constant pursuit for learning will continue to motivate me throughout my career.

Seizing the opportunity to part of Michigan State University’s distinguished teaching preparation program has led me to teaching and learning experiences that provide me with firm foundation in education. Being a part of this program has opened many doors for me while bringing me to authentic classroom experiences. Observations in a variety of diverse classrooms have taught me the importance of differentiation within the classroom. My commitment to maximize learning for a variety of students has increased tremendously as I begin to build strong relationships with my students and understand their wide range of learning styles. My competencies include creating authentic lesson plans, managing classroom behavior, and English instruction. When constructing lessons I strive to relate them to my students’ lives as I consider their community, individual backgrounds, and personalities. I place a huge emphasis on behavior management as I conduct a classroom environment with structure and purpose; providing students with learning and language goals along with objectives for their lesson, activity, or assignment. My experiences teaching abroad have provided me with the opportunity to understand the language needs of my students. I believe in the power of effective communication skills for every student regardless of culture or context. I am pleased that my experiences have granted me such a wealth of knowledge in becoming the best educator I can be and motivation to continue to do so.