Focus on TUSD - December 2007

Cheerleader for the Children
Rodel Picks Marrufo for Teacher Finalist Award
In her classroom, Blenman kindergarten teacher Erika Marrufo is a cheerleader for her students.

It's that enthusiasm and positive attitude, developed after years of teaching dance to children, which helped her earn a top teaching award. Marrufo, 34, is one of five local teachers, and the only one in TUSD, chosen for the 2007 Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona Exemplary Teacher Initiative. She was selected from more than 1,000 teachers serving schools with a large enrollment of students from low-income families.

Marrufo, however, doesn't focus on that factor in her classroom. "I just see the child," she said. "I never see the poverty situation."

She brings music and movement to her teaching, playing song snippets between activities and encouraging her students to get up and move. She stresses TPR, which is total physical response. For example, when she introduces the letter "V," she stretches her arms wide above her head to show the shape.

And, like other kindergarten teachers, Marrufo uses songs to imprint information in her students' long-term memory.

Kindergarten is an important year for children's development, Marrufo said, as they become familiar with the alphabet and learn the early stages of reading and writing. "They need a balance of socialization and academics," she said. "The repetition is important."

Among the dozen areas Marrufo focuses on during the school day is "Let's daydream," when she reads a poem to them before asking them to practice it in their heads and relax.

When children demonstrate what they've learned, Marrufo is happy. "I love the children's 'ah-hah' moments when they get it, when they believe in themselves," she explained. "When they learn to write their names, they're so proud. When they first learn to read and write, it's exciting for them and for me."

When she taught dancing as a teenager, she realized she wanted to be a teacher and continue the learning process in the classroom. It's led to memorable moments, such as the time a parent stopped to tell her that her seventh-grade child still talks about Marrufo and her classroom activities. "All students learn the academics, but when they can remember the songs and scenarios, that shows how important it was to them," said the Blenman Elementary School teacher.

Marrufo recommended teaching as a profession, saying, "If you love what you're doing, it's the most rewarding, satisfying job. It's not just a job to me because as teachers, we touch a child's life."

Marrufo Bio |Rodel Exemplary Teacher Program

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations

TUSD - Proud Supporter of Small Classes

Photos in the December issue by Jes Ruvalcaba of Communications & Media Relations, unless otherwise noted.

The deadline to submit material for the January Focus is Friday, Jan. 11. The Focus will be published Monday, Jan. 21. Email submissions to Chyrl Hill Lander or Sharon Dunham in the Communications & Media Relations Department or use the online Tip Sheet.