Teacher Profile | Juan (Danny) Manriquez

Teacher Profile
Juan (Danny) Manriquez
Dual Language 5th Grade Teacher
Rosemont Elementary School
Dallas ISD

Q. Where and what do you teach?
A: I am currently teaching 5th grade science and social studies at Rosemont Elementary in Dallas ISD.

Q. How long have you been a teacher?
A: I have been a teacher for 15 years. Taught kindergarten, 2nd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade

Q. Why did you enter the teaching profession?
A: I fell in love with teaching; I stumbled into the profession when I was recently out of college and in-between jobs. Being a substitute teacher was recommended to me by a teacher friend. I tried and got a long-term sub position, I loved the feeling of having an impact on students.

Q. What motivates you to teach?
A: The faces students make when they learn something new is my fuel. I strive to teach and wow them every day!

Q. What is your favourite thing about teaching?
A: My favourite thing about teaching is having a positive impact on a student’s life.

Q. What is the most important thing teachers can learn from the TMRA workshops?
A: There are several important things teachers learn from these workshops. One is the explanations of how things truly are. Second are the hands-on activities that you can take back to your classrooms. Third is the connections you make with people who share the passion for science teaching with you.

Q. Can you discuss the value of hands-on learning?
A: In science there isn’t a better strategy than hands on learning. Kinaesthetic learning activities meet the needs of most learners.

Q. What are your most fond memories of the TMRA Teacher Workshop program?
A: My most fond memories were during the first experience with TMRA at Sabine Coal Mine. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Prior to TMRA, I had experienced a lot of boring and repetitive professional development. TMRA workshops were not boring and it is not your repetitive professional development. It could be compared to camp in the sense that you meet people, there are hands-on activities, and there are amazing on-field observations and experiences.