This spring, 16-year teaching veteran Morgan Castillo, an ATPE member and fifth grade science teacher at Woodgate Intermediate School in Midway (12) ISD, was named a recipient of the prestigious H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. She spoke to ATPE News about the importance of authenticity, passion, and daring to try new things.
What made you want to be an educator?
I never planned on becoming a teacher. I went to Baylor to become a missionary. While I was there, I became involved with a local nonprofit that works with the poor and marginalized of the community and the world. After an internship, I decided I wanted to further invest in underserved communities. It was time to get a job with steady income, and my mom sent me a newspaper ad for the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program, and I decided to go for it! They placed me in a Spanish position at F.D. Roosevelt High School. What has kept me in the education profession is my own educational experience in Texas public schools. I grew up in Garland ISD and experienced some outstanding educators. For example, my middle school science teacher, Ms. Borland, brought in Jane Goodall, the famous primatologist, to speak to us. She also involved us in Robert Ballard’s JASON Project, where we video-conferenced with actual scientists halfway across the world. (This was pre-internet, so videoconferencing was state-of-the-art, and Robert Ballard had just discovered the Titanic wreck.) Ms. Borland is just one example of so many teachers who went above and beyond to provide experiences for students. These teachers set the minimum standard for me as an educator. So, shouldn’t my students have at least the same experiences, if not better? I really take to heart that every student deserves passionate, creative-driven teachers.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Our world is fascinating, and my favorite part about my job is that I further develop students’ natural curiosity and appreciation for how amazing of a world we live in! Students have designed and conducted their own experiments using live crayfish and presented their research to an audience at a major university. I’ve brought in a rocket engineer from SpaceX. Students have handled fossils that are millions of years old and wondered about our prehistoric world. A class also worked with a local municipality to educate the public about the importance of pollution-free stormwater runoff. These opportunities inspire and empower students to take learning further. As they make personal connections, unplanned student-initiated opportunities 18 ATPE NEWS
arise. One year, a student volunteered to bring to class chickens from home while learning about bird beaks and feet. Another time, we had an impromptu show-and-tell of personal rock collections. Creating memorable experiences for your students inspires them to extend their learning.
What advice would you give to other educators?
Don’t model perfection for your students; model authenticity. Only when we acknowledge and embrace our true selves—flaws and all—can we best serve our students by developing relationships and giving them the gifts of worthiness and acceptance. The fear of failure often paralyzes a teacher; we are scared to fail because our end product isn’t an item on a store shelf, it’s a human life. However, we owe it to our students to take risks because playing it safe serves no one. When teachers step out on faith and embrace the likelihood of failure, students will gain so much more beyond the content knowledge, thus outweighing any negatives. Students rarely remember that specific lesson you spent hours perfecting and preparing, but they forever recall the permission you gave yourself to be authentic in front of them. Be vulnerable with your passions and dreams! For me, I love science. I wear crazy science socks and science shoes for good luck on test days. I wear mammoth jewelry and bring in my rock and fossil collections. I’ve always wanted to share that love with young people, but it wasn’t until I took the leap and switched to teaching science that it finally happened. In my class when we study volcanoes, I am literally jumping with excitement as we watch the lava flow on screen. When students say, “Wow, you really like volcanoes,” my response is, “Of course! When I grow up, I want to be a volcanologist!” My eyes are big, my excitement authentic. My students may not share my passion, but all students can connect to having a passion. When they see your passion, they gain confidence to share their passions with you. In a fast-changing world, we must be daring enough to try new things to prepare our students for a future of navigating a constantly changing environment. Teachers should attempt challenging lessons, apply for dream training opportunities, or explore new content. Saying yes to these risks has not only made me a better teacher, but has made me a better leader, servant,
