Ariel Figueroa has been a general studies/kindergarten teacher at Bornblum Jewish Community School for the last four years. When Figueroa was a child, she suffered from anxiety and other social-emotional problems. In third grade, a teacher nurtured her creativity and helped her to discover herself and aspire to do great things.
“That year I fell in love with reading and creative writing, both of which have been constant companions throughout my life,” explains Figueroa. She strives to meet the emotional and academic needs of the children she teaches so they can be their best, in a safe place. “Every child has potential. Every child deserves a chance. I want children to love learning and to love being themselves. When a child acts out, I try to get to the emotions behind that and help the child self-regulate. I create a safe space so children will feel safe learning, trying, failing, and trying again.”
Figueroa makes social-emotional learning a huge focus in her classroom, and her classes are play-based and align with state standards. “I wanted to be that person for young children — that nurturing, encouraging, and grounding presence in their lives,” she says. “When I was younger, I wanted to be an actress, a writer, and a drama therapist. I can honestly say that as a teacher, I have achieved all three! There are many educators in my family, including my mother, and they were all role models for me. We do yoga, mindfulness exercises, and meditation every week that connect to the topics we are covering in class.”
Figueroa strives to be a positive role model to her colleagues as well. She models lifelong discovery by participating in endless learning opportunities. Last year, she was accepted into the Mount Vernon Institute for Teachers. The institute is a highly competitive, immersive educational opportunity. In a typical year, teachers from all grades throughout the country are chosen to go to Mount Vernon and do a deep dive into an aspect of George Washington’s life.
“The institute provides many amazing teaching tools, strategies, and free resources to be used in the classroom. Since last summer was not a typical year, I did not get to attend in person but was privileged to be part of a virtual week-long workshop,” Figueroa says. “I love integrating history into my curriculum. I picked up many skills during my workshop. I especially enjoyed learning about art integration and the use of primary documents in the classroom, and then translating those lessons into a kindergarten-friendly format.”
As a published author of children’s books, Figueroa also has many unpublished short stories for children and adults. “Sometimes if I do not find a picture book that conveys the information I want to in a lesson, I create my own,” explains Figueroa. “The best part about being a kindergarten teacher is that I get to stay in kindergarten and watch my children grow and mature throughout their years at school.”
Figueroa’s books — The Safe Classroom, A Day in the Life of Tita the Turtle, and Tita’s Big Move — can be found on Amazon.
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