Alejandra Jauregui: Keeping your finger on the pedagogy pulse

Alejandra Jauregui of Badger Springs Middle School is always looking for new ways to enhance the way she teaches math and as an innovative teacher, she has her finger on the pulse when it comes to changes in education.

Alejandra Jauregui has been teaching for nearly 15 years and says that while she had some good teachers when she was younger, it was the bad teachers that inspired her to start her career in education. "When I was at high school, I saw the things that didn't work and the methods I didn't like and I wanted to do something different," said Alejandra. She now teaches 7th-grade math at Badger Springs Middle School and certainly is doing things differently in the classroom.

Always eager to push herself outside of her comfort zone for the good of her students, Alejandra employs a wide range of innovative teaching strategies that allow her students to really immerse themselves in learning. Incorporating STEAM math activities in her classroom is one way she does this, and she recently brought in the engineering design process when teaching ratios and proportions. This project saw students create a mold of their thumbs to gain insight into the measurements required and experience the real-world applications of math, which Alejandra said is essential for keeping students engaged. She has also created a project using a crane building kit to teach her students about inequalities.

For Alejandra, it's also important to her that her classroom is a place where her students feel safe and comfortable, where mutual respect and support are prioritized. Likewise, always looking to create an inclusive environment, she has taken on a 'Dual Language Immersion' program, teaching math in Spanish, and has incorporated literacy strategies into her math curriculum, too.

Alejandra is an educator who thoroughly enjoys her job, and is constantly adapting to ensure that her students have access to the resources they need and the latest educational updates. She also loves to witness her students’ breakthroughs. "I love my job, and I love to see my students' faces when they finally understand a topic," said Alejandra.

Photos courtesy of Alejandra Jauregui