Educator of my town

Posted: November 29th, 2013

Educator of my town

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Educator of my town

                        In a short while after Dolores Ramirez became a second grade teacher, she began to love her students and considered making teaching her main profession. “That was it for me,” she says. “I went back to college my junior year and changed my major to elementary education.” She confesses her love for education to have grown in her years ago. She acknowledges her mother to have made her love teaching. Dolores Ramirez appreciates her mother for passing to her the education knowledge she now possesses. Dolores Ramirez’s parents were World War II heroes. Despite the fact that they did not attend college or become graduates, they ensured their children possessed the knowledge they could not posses. Ramirez and her sister did not disappoint their parents but succeeded in the education world. They make their parents proud and continue to pursue their teaching career even after thirty years.

Dolores Ramirez has been a kindergarten teacher for nineteen years in Rangerville Elementary school situated in San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. Her students’ seek for her attention every day as she arrives to school. Some of her students are eager to tell her something that interests them and others just want to embrace her. Ramirez’s hard work in school is shown day–by-day. Her students grow from the shy, frightened children they once were at the beginning of the year to confident students at the end of the year reward. She finds happiness in seeing her students prosper by achieving the target set by the Texas state. She feels good knowing that she played a big part in the children’s success. This makes her feel important since her great efforts have not gone to waste and the reason why she teaches is now even more clear to her.

Dolores Ramirez hard work was noticed when her students reached the target set by the Texas state. Due to this, she becomes the president of the Texas Classroom Association. This is a very important and meaningful accomplishment to Ramirez besides being a professional accomplishment. Dolores Ramirez is a proud teacher. She still has so much passion for teaching even after being in the profession for thirty-three years. Her love for her students grows each day as she strives to make them succeed in their studies. “I am a teacher,” she says, “When I go to the grocery store, I instinctively stop kids from running down the aisles. I lead sing-a-longs on road trips. I snap my fingers to get my brother-in-law’s attention. Sometimes I even break out in rhyme!” Teaching is one of the things that make Dolores Ramirez happy and she looks forward to it every day.

Ramirez also notices that parents of present and even past students she has taught have great respect for her as a person and as a teacher. This respect comes with many responsibilities. She is one of the teachers who have taught in a school situated in a small town for many years. Due to this, she experiences remarkable things. When she is called for jury duty, the judge praises her for being his first grade teacher. Ramirez taught the judge’s twin brother who is currently an attorney too. Since Ramirez has taught in a small town for many years, she ends up teaching the siblings of her former students. Due to this, she ends up meeting the whole family of her students. A mother tells a high school senior student that upon his misbehavior, Mrs. Ramirez will be asked to offer some advice to him. “Reports like this confirm that parents respect my position and my opinions.” Ramirez says.

Ramirez appreciates those parents who are involved in their children’s education. She urges parents to encourage their children in their education progress. Parents should also acknowledge the teachers work and be supportive of them. She however expresses great disappointment for those parents not involved in their children’s education. She says such parents aggravate their own children’s education. The first year of a child’s education is quite important and a parent should try as much as possible to be involved and provide support. These first years are more likely to affect the years of education to come. She urges the parents to follow Robert Fulghum’s advice that says, “All I really need to know about is how to live, what to do and how to be what I learned in kindergarten.”

Her main worry when it comes to education is the budget crisis. She is worried that the politician will not put the children’s education first. The leaders tend to put their best interests first and not the children’s. “My greatest concern is that our leaders will not consider what is best for the children of our great state, and in an effort to balance the budget, will harm our most precious product, our children,” says Ramirez. She compares this situation with her parents who always ensured they went to school even in instances where money was a great problem. She hopes that the government will consider the children’s education needs despite the ongoing budget crisis.

Ramirez joined the San Benito CTA in 1978 after her graduation from college. Her sisters and cousins were its founders. She has experienced a lot in her thirty-three years of teaching. TCTA separated from seven local associations because these local associations encouraged relationships with TSTA and NEA but excluded it. She witnessed this when TCTA first appointed an attorney, the Executive Director Jeri Stone. She appreciates TCTA for making its members be aware of their rights and responsibilities. TCTA also ensures the education of its members and ensures that its members are informed. Ramirez is grateful for this. She trusts that TCTA will continue to be successful as long as it continues to ensure the teacher’s interests are considered. She urges TCTA to continue representing the Texas teachers with honor at the state level.

Ramirez encourages the teachers to put much effort in ensuring the students succeed and take the teaching profession seriously. Failure to do this is likely to cause failure of the student. Therefore, it will not be right for the teachers to complain since it will be their fault. In 2008-2010, Ramirez acted as the chair of the TCTA budget committee. In 2010-2011, she acted as the public relations committee. She represented her university grounds on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council. She also acted as the president of the district one coordinating council. She became the 2011-2012 state president of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association in June 1, 2011. This position will enable her direct TCTA’s efforts in improving the teaching profession. She also aims to provide proper services to its members. She intends to represent TCTA in meetings such as the State Board for Educator Certification, State Board of Education and Teacher Retirement System. Ramirez also intends to pay a visit to teachers in all regions and urges them to invite her in their CTA functions.

Dolores Ramirez was born and raised in San Benito. She went to San Benito High School and got her Bachelor of Science degree in basic education in Kingsville from Texas A&I University. She has earlier taught in the San Benito CISD at Landrum Elementary School. For nine years, she taught in Dallas. Dolores Ramirez was also crowned the teacher of the year at Rangerville Elementary in 2006. She takes part in the community activities. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club, K-Kids Club, and Aggie Moms. Apart from teaching, she enjoys trimming her backyard, stringing beads, needlework, cooking and traveling. She also loves reading novels like romance and mysteries and dancing mostly to country music. Michael Buble is her favorite musician. Ramirez likes hanging out with friends to share happy moments. While hanging out they also find solutions to the challenges the school district faces.