Thank you for logging onto my web site. My name is Mawuli Olivierre.
I am currently a teacher in the New York City public school system.
I work at Park Place Community Middle School or MS 266. I teach 7th
grade Humanities Social Studies, which is just social studies with
more literature and writing involved. I’m a fairly new teacher.
I’ve been working in the Department of Education for approximately
7 year, but of this time I’ve been teaching three years. I started
out as a school aid, then after a year I got a position as a paraprofessional
and have been assisting teachers in the classroom for 4years. During
my spear time I write songs and produce music. Sometimes I perform
at small showcases in and outside of the New York. To learn more about
this aspect of my life please go to SimianChild.com
I started out as a school aid at MS 324, which is located on Gates
Ave in Brooklyn, New York. I must admit that it wasn’t my ideal
job at the time but, I knew that it would provide a perfect segue
into the teaching profession. While I was attending college I gained
much needed experience as a school aide and paraprofessional. I’ve
had to man the hallways of one of the roughest Junior High schools
at the time. I have counseled and exchanged stories with some of the
brightest and toughest students in Brooklyn. While I must confess
that I do not wish to turn back the hands of time, I do cherish the
experience that I have gained. It has help to give me a better understand
of New York’s inner city students.
During time at MS 324, I have really grasped a closer understanding
of some of the needs of the inner city students. The students have
taught me that they need role models that have and continue to experience
the thing that they are tempted with. I’ve learned that relate-ability
is a powerful tool with students. They need leaders that can relate
to their needs, wants and expectations. This understanding became
part of the main reason why I continue to pursue teaching as a career.
I’ve heard someone say that “we live life on levels and
we arrive to these levels in stages”. It is clear that a child
concept of life required development and nurturing. As teachers, I
believe we need to be able to stoop down to our student’s level,
with tactfulness, to show them how to rise to higher levels. As a
result of my beliefs and understandings, I delved into the teaching
profession with the hopes and aspirations to be one of those who teach
students to achieve higher levels.
My experience as a paraprofessional wasn’t all exciting. I
say this particularly because I wasn’t able to remain at a school
for too long. Unfortunately, in the Board of Education, the budget
was always a threatening issue, especially for those like myself who
were at the bottom of the food chain. When those daunting occasions
came around of which the Board decide to cut funding, I was strip
out of the classroom in mid year. Now some may say that I was only
an assistance, but I always new that what I was doing mattered because
I still remember the sad sobbing faces of those students that were
so devastated on the days they found out or new that I was leaving.
I always felt like I was leaving a job undone- and I was!
But even this experience I am grateful for because it allowed me to
work with some great pedagogies and school administrators. In fact,
it is because I met so many great professionals that I became a teacher
in the first place. I was working at CS 21 in Brooklyn, which I must
admit was one of the best schools I have worked in since I started
this profession. The Principal at this school was Dr. Young. Some
of the younger student call her Ms Dr. Young. She was a very encouraging
leader and had a wonderful way with both the students and the staff.
It was because of her that I’m at PPCMS. One day Dr. Young found
out from someone in the school that I graduated with my Bachelors
degree. She approached me in a very concerned and frank manner, so
much that I thought I had done something wrong. She insisted that
I go down to the Board of Education’s main office to get evaluated
immediately. Initial she want to hire me as teacher at CS 21, but
that didn’t work out so I was sent on an interview at Park Place
community Middle School. This was about 3 years ago and I have been
at this school ever since.
