Diana Perez teaches sixth grade at Rice Elementary. She has worked in various roles in Chandler schools, but this is her first year as a teacher.
“My love for teaching grew with working here with the kids,” Perez explains. She earned her degree in sociology intending to become a social worker, but returned to school to get her master’s degree in education.
Perez says she loves teaching sixth grade. “I feel like at this age I can make an impact and a difference,” she says. It is a big jump after doing her student teaching in kindergarten.
Perez was nominated by student Matthias, who writes, “She talks kindly. She plays silent ball at the end of the day.” Silent ball is a game Perez employs to keep students quiet while they are waiting for their group to be called for dismissal, plus “the kids really like it,” she says.
When she was a student, Perez says her favorite subjects were science and reading. She recalls struggling in math when she was in school, but she says now she loves to teach math.
Perez is originally from Chicago, but she left the windy city for the Grand Canyon state, and has lived in Arizona for 20 years now. She has four children who all attend Chandler Unified District schools. She likes to spend her free time with her family enjoying nature, whether they are hiking, fishing or just appreciating the cooler weather in northern Arizona.
While she is a nature enthusiast, she is not a fan of nature coming into the classroom—at least not the creepy-crawly kind! She says on the first day of classes, the students reported that there was a scorpion in one of the backpacks. “I thought they were joking, but there really was a scorpion and we had to call the office,” Perez recalls.
Perez wants her students to know that it’s alright to make mistakes in the classroom. “I always tell them, mistakes are always okay—they mean you’re learning and growing,” says Perez.
On her school website, Perez writes, “I encourage my students to give their best efforts, take risks, and celebrate the outcomes...embracing mistakes encourages a learning environment that allows students to feel comfortable enough to try new things.”
