Cecilia is currently an 8th grade English teacher at IS 239 in Coney Island.  She has been a middle school teacher for seven years and has during this time developed a love for the teaching of the strange creatures called 8th graders. 

In her career as a teacher, Cecilia has taken on many roles.  She has taught 6th, 7th and 8th grade (all in the same year).  She has taught English, social studies and humanities and spent two illustrious years as a Literacy Coach before she decided that she would much rather teach middle schoolers than adults. She is now back in the classroom fulltime and enjoying every minute of it (well 98% of it anyway).

Cecilia originally went to school for Music Therapy and decided after completing the program that she could not see herself pursuing the field as a career.  She decided to go back to school and completed a bachelors degree at SUNY Fredonia in English Secondary Education with a minor in psychology.

After graduating, Cecilia taught in the City of Rochester before deciding to move to New York City and teach - by choice- in the South Bronx.  She spent five  wonderful and stressful years at IS 184 before the school was closed down and she was forced to find a new school. This was a difficult transition for her as she felt that she had thoroughly invested herself professionally, mentally and emotionally in IS 184.

It was at this point that she decided to go back to the classroom fulltime and has not regretted the decision yet.  It has reminded her of why she went into teaching in the first place.  Imparting her love of literature and writing to her students is her passion and she finds that there is no greater gift than when it is reciprocated.

She was fortunate enough to get a job at IS 239, Mark Twain for the Gifted and Talented.  Her first year at IS 239 has been an adventure and she has had to learn to modify her teaching quite a bit.  While she sees this placement as temporary, she has learned a lot and is enjoying the new challenge of working with a new student population. Her teacher page can be viewed at http://is239.schoolwires.com/1403101012103027153/site/default.asp.

Oh yes. And she is completing her Masters in Education at Brooklyn College this summer.  Hopefully.