At right , Naran the grand open Herrera Elemen School ; far righ Herrera classro
At left , Naranjo with Herrera of manager Mai X
In your new role as principal for Herrera , what brings you the most joy ? What is the most challenging aspect of your role ?
There are many things that bring me joy as the principal at Herrera , but I would have to say that seeing students learn in new ways brings me the greatest joy . Students from prekindergarten to sixth grade are working on projects that integrate science , technology , engineering , and art into math and ELA lessons . Students are diving deep into topics that impact their lives and you can see that they are learning like never before . There is a sustained joy for learning when you visit the classrooms at Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary and it is thanks to our awesome staff . Our teachers are dedicated to teaching in innovative ways that expand our students ’ thinking .
One of the most challenging aspects of my role is related to time . Implementing lessons that integrate STEAM can be tricky because the school day is so short . Teachers have been very creative in getting their daily lessons integrated so that they can cover grade level standards and our core curriculum while still integrating STEAM concepts .
Is there a motto , quote , or mindset you live by ?
A mindset that I live by is “ think things through .” Ms . Hansen , my fourthgrade teacher , taught me how to play chess when I was in elementary school . I took to the game and found that I was good at it . I saw the beauty in the game because it could be played in an infinite number of ways even though there were a short set of rules . What I learned from chess was that I had to think things through if I wanted to win . I needed to have a plan A , B , C and even a plan D to be successful . This mindset has helped me in my career in education and in my personal life as well .
Art by Miguel Naranj