German article

Mount Dora High Teacher Shows Students That History is All Around Them

Mount Dora High School teacher Alejandra Perez says she has high expectations for the students in her 11th grade history class, and she wants them to do the thinking. It’s one of several reasons they say they love and respect her, Spectrum News 13 reports.

Students dig deep to really get an understanding of the day’s lesson, and Perez’s lesson plans are among the reasons she was nominated as a Lake County A+ Teacher. “My class is very interactive,” explains Perez. “We work together every day. We read like historians, we do things like annotations, and we decide what documents have to say. We source, we corroborate and conceptualize to piece together a moment from the past and to answer a historical question.”

Perez says she didn’t initially intend to be a teacher. “For me, I kind of stumbled into teaching,” she notes. “I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Meadowbrook Middle School after I graduated college, and I wanted to be a part of that work.”

Her family inspired her, too. “I’m a daughter of immigrants,” says Perez. “My parents came from Colombia, so there’s always a question of, ‘How are you going to give back to this community and how are you going to give back to this country?’”

Perez has an important takeaway for each of her students. “History isn’t in dusty textbooks,” she finishes. “It’s not hidden in a museum that they have to visit. History is all around us.”

Grab Your Jingle Bells: It’s a Christmas Scavenger Hunt!

From Bonita Springs and Cape Coral to Venice and Zephyrhills, it’s the holiday season! Whether it’s partners, friends, or grandkids, get out and about with this whimsical scavenger hunt. The rules are simple: take a fun photo of yourself with as many items as you can in a certain amount of time (say, 2 hours) and then rejoin the group. Upload all the photos to a laptop and play the slideshow during your Christmas party. Fun extra: the couple or team with the most items wins a silly prize!

• Something red • Something green • Red and green plaid • Candy cane • Christmas card • Eggnog • Candle • Star • Christmas train • Posing with Santa • Naughty scene • Nativity scene • Snowman • Silver bell • Red stocking • The Grinch • Holly and berries • Something sparkly • A decorated mailbox • Kiss under the mistletoe • Christmas party on the calendar • North Pole sign • Someone laughing • Christmas lights • Gingerbread house • Snowflake • Someone sleeping • Christmas sweater • Red bow • Dirty dishes • Elf on a shelf • Someone jumping in midair • Christmas wreath • Santa hat on the beach • Nutcracker • Snow globe • Someone singing carols • Rudolph • Christmas-themed baked goods • Cranberry and popcorn decoration • Animal dressed up for

Christmas • Receipt for exactly $12.25 • Homemade Christmas tree ornament