Welcome to My Learning Journey: A Teacher, Student, and Lifelong Learner

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 Hello and Welcome!

Hello, everyone! My name is Elizabeth Martinez, and I am so excited to begin this blogging journey. I wear many hats—mother, teacher, graduate student, chauffeur, cook, lifelong learner, and the list goes on and on. I currently teach 4th grade at the Inter-American Magnet School (IAMS) in Chicago Public Schools, and I’m pursuing my master’s degree at Dominican University.

I envision this blog as both a professional portfolio and a reflective journal—a place to share my ideas, challenges, and discoveries as I grow in my role as an educator.

About Me

I’ve been married for 16 years and am the proud mom of three wonderful children, all of whom attend IAMS as well—making our connection to the school community deeply personal. A 10-year-old soccer player, an 8-year-old softball player, and a 6-year-old who comes along on the ride. Outside of school and coursework, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a hectic schedule. I am asked many times a day how I do it, and my answer is I just do. This is my second year in fourth grade, and I feel like I have a better understanding of what I am doing. I am a Dual Language teacher. I teach 50% of my time in school in English and the other in Spanish. 



Image Source: Personal Photos. Image 1: My family at a wedding this past July. Image 2: My kids on the first day of school.


Technology and Me

Let’s talk technology! Does it use me, or do I use it? Honestly, it feels like both. While technology empowers me to connect with students, colleagues, and family in powerful ways, I also sometimes find myself lost in endless late-night scrolling.

In my classroom, technology is a game-changer. I use it daily through tools like:

  • Google Classroom for assignments and updates.

  • Jamboard, Kahoot, and Padlet to spark engagement.

  • Multimedia projects—such as stop-motion, podcasts, and green screen video. This is something I was recently introduced to by my previous class, and I am beginning to incorporate it into my classroom this year.

  • Bilingual supports—Spanish–English translations and voice recordings for multilingual learners.

As a graduate student, I rely on:

  • Zoom lectures

  • Panopto recordings

  • Google Docs collaboration

  • Research databases

Simply put, technology is both my teaching partner and learning companion.



This is how I am feeling right now, juggling work, school, home life, and the numerous activities that come with it. The way I see it, I have fun with it, or I will be miserable.


(sourced from Tenor)

My Commitment

During this course, I’ll use this blog to:

  1. Reflect honestly on my journey as a teacher and learner.

  2. Explore how technology can enhance—not replace—learning.

  3. Connect with colleagues by sharing and learning from each other.

To kick things off, here’s a resource that inspires my tech integration work.

Closing Thoughts

Starting something new always comes with excitement—mixed with a touch of nerves. As this blogging journey begins, I feel energized by the path forward. There will be challenges, yes—but also discoveries that will shape me as both a teacher and learner.

Thank you for being here! I look forward to reflecting, sharing, and growing together this semester!

Comments

  1. Sara BauerAugust 27, 2025 at 9:19 AM

    Hi Elizabeth,
    I completely agree that technology is both used by us as users and then we become dependent on technology. Like you said when we use technology most of us in today's modern society use technology for work and educational purposes. Without using technology in educational settings the efficiency and accessible tools would be a lot less. Lastly, yes something new is always exciting but leads to nerves because you are dipping into the factor of the new and unknown.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sophia GiuriniAugust 29, 2025 at 12:14 AM

    Hi Elizabeth!

    I think it's so fun that you're a teacher at the school your kids attend. Are they a fan of this? I feel like I would've been a fan of this when I was a kid! I really like how you pointed out how helpful technology can be for students who first language is not English. This demonstrates one of the major benefits of using technology in the classroom. When I was teaching, sometimes I wondered how much technology usage was too much technology for my students. Hopefully, we can find a way to balance it all. I look forward to working with you this semester! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MartinezSeptember 2, 2025 at 7:08 PM

      Hi Sophia, my kids love that I work at their school. I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years; therefore, they are very accustomed to having me around. It's interesting, I think they feel some sort of importance as the children of a teacher, I don't know why.

      Delete
  3. clabuzAugust 31, 2025 at 9:52 AM

    Hi Elizabeth! How do you like being a dual language teacher? My school just started a dual language program a couple of years ago. I do not teach on the dual language team but always find it interesting how the other 6th grade math teacher modifies assignments and resources for his students. I can relate to the endless late-night scrolling. A healthy balance of technology at work and school is important. I do find technology as a way to engage my students in the classroom, but I find that sometimes good old-fashioned paper and pencil assignment is just as effective.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MartinezSeptember 2, 2025 at 7:12 PM

      Being a dual language teacher is very challenging, but I genuinely enjoy it. When I first started looking for schools for my son, I was initially seeking a gifted program for him because he was academically advanced for his age. Then I quickly realized that it was more important to me for him to be bilingual. Therefore, I want to be able to give back to other families that share that same commitment to their children.

      Delete
  4. NMZumpanoAugust 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM

    I LOVE your commitment statements, Elizabeth! Thank you for including them. I worked in CPS for 25 years, 15 of them as a 4th grade teacher. I loved the age group. How wonderful that you have your own children in your school, too. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on technology this fall.

    ReplyDelete

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