Coming Full Circle: Lorena Morales Teaches Math, AVID, and the Power of Mentorship at Her Alma Mater – The Torch: Summer Series Ep.4

Throughout ROCE’s special summer podcast series, we tell the stories of our 2024 Riverside County Educators of the Year. These shows will share never before seen discussions with each of the eleven educators who were chosen through the rigorous educator of the year selection process. In this episode, we will introduce you to Teacher of the Year, Lorena Morales. She takes pride in her journey to teaching at the very same school she graduated as valedictorian. Ms. Morales works tirelessly to support all her students and is especially proud to be the instructional leader for the schools’ national AVID demonstration program. She knows the powerful role that leaders play in the classroom and that their effort makes a difference for our students. Tune in and meet Ms. Lorena Morales, Mathematics and AVID teacher as La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District. Join us now for this never-before-seen extended interview with Lorena Morales — only on The Torch. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction 01:52 - Lorena Morales on returning to teach at her alma mater 05:02 - The importance of equity 05:45 - The power of mentorship 07:46 - College and career readiness 09:34 - Creating safe spaces 11:47 - Building connections 12:54 - Growing up in the community 15:50 - Philosophy of teaching 18:21 - Working collaboratively 20:15 - Breaking down difficult math concepts 21:17 - Failure is the greatest teacher 22:10 - Advice for new teachers 24:28 - First year lessons in teaching 29:26 - The greatest reward of being a teacher 30:44 - Thank you for joining us Listen to The Torch on: Apple Podcasts: https://go.rcoe.us/TheTorch-OnAppleSpotify: https://go.rcoe.us/TheTorch-OnSpotifyThe Torch: A Podcast by Riverside County Office of Education is a new show diving into different topics on education. From family engagement to new laws being put in that affects education, RCOE will talk with guests who are knowledgable in these topics. Subscribe to RCOE's The Torch channels on Spotify or Apple Podcast, our YouTube channel, and follow our social media for notifications of upcoming episodes every 3rd Tuesday of the month. Connect with RCOE Online! Visit RCOE.us: https://www.rcoe.us Find RCOE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiversideCOE Follow RCOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverside_coe/ #RCOEtheTorch