Welcome to the April edition of Teacher Feature! This month, the teacher creature that features in our bleachers is Ms. Gonzalez. This is her first year at Richwoods and she currently teaches Psychology, Sociology, and Black History. We are glad to ask her about her journey to teach here, and about her favorite moments this school year.

How long have you been in District 150 or the Peoria area? Did you go to school here, or elsewhere?

This is my first-year teaching at D150, and I have been in the Peoria area for about 5 years since I went to Bradley University prior to here. But originally, I was from the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago.

Why did you choose to teach at Richwoods?

I chose Richwoods since it is a highly diverse school. Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and attending a PWI (predominantly white institute) I wanted to work in a diverse environment, and Richwoods does this very well.

What made you decide to pursue teaching? Was it an instinctive decision, or did you consider other jobs before teaching?

At first, I did not want to be a teacher. Originally, I wanted to be a physical therapist as I was going to school for health science. But after my first semester at Bradley, I immediately switched to secondary education. I always loved working with kids let alone working in a group setting (since I was always involved in sports).

What is your favorite event in Black History to teach?

I thoroughly enjoy teaching Black History since few schools offer it but enjoy teaching the Reconstruction era.

What do you think is the coolest part of psychology? (This also includes the sociology umbrella, human interaction, the human brain, etc.)

I enjoyed teaching the brain unit along with the psychological disorders. This is the most interesting part of psychology, and students enjoy this part of the class as well.

With sociology, I enjoy teaching the culture unit because students can share their opinions and cultures with one another.

What has been your favorite moment this school year?

Coaching cheerleading has been one of my favorite moments, let alone building close relationships with the girls and watching the basketball team make it to state!

Thank you to Ms. Gonzalez for taking the time to do an interview and thank you all for reading!