Jose Medina, TAC '02

Facts:

Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Jose studied and worked as a civil engineer before changing paths at the age of 25 to pursue studies in Philosophy and Theology in Rome on his way to become a Catholic missionary priest. He came to the United States and began teaching at North Cambridge Catholic High School in Cambridge, MA a few years later -- five periods, four different subjects, 116 student's total. "I was pulled from many different directions: the language barrier was an issue at times, the curriculum and pedagogy were different from what I was taught, and keeping the students engaged was challenging. I did not have any ideas of the struggles my students were going thru. I had only two things: the common sense I learned from my mother (a teacher of ten children), and passion for my students and their lives."

Jose joined TEP filled with questions and dilemmas. "I will always remember my weekly meetings with Eric, Kristi, Chris, and Brendan. Every Friday we would gather and talk about our schools, our students, our teaching and us. Eric was always challenging our preconceptions about education and teaching. Every time I went home with something new. It wasn't a new theory or a challenging philosophical problem, but a new gaze on one of my students, or a new open question, or even the discovery of a hidden personal prejudice." Now, back in the classroom full time, Jose notes "I don't teach Physics, I teach kids about physics. Once I'm in front of my students, nothing else matters... they are a different group with different personalities, and each section I teach is different and better from the one before it."

Inside Scoop:

"TEP taught me to reflect on my teaching, to collaborate with other teachers, and to teach to students and not to teach a curriculum. I know there have been many days when I sucked as a teacher. But now I think about my teaching every day, write little notes to remember what worked and what didn't. I'm not afraid to change."

"In TEP, I found people who are willing to change their lesson entirely because they realized that maybe there is a better way. People who look at the greater picture of education; who take into account the experiences and struggles the students bring to the classroom. People who believe that everybody is able to learn and, more importantly, has the right to do so."