Jaime Mendoza
Elementary School Teacher
Jaime Mendoza is an elementary school teacher at Kansas Connections Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Wichita State University. Ms. Mendoza started teaching in 2008 and joined Connections Academy in 2013. She shares her story below.
“In 2000, our military family moved to Kansas and I started substitute teaching. I loved working in the schools and really wanted to have my own classroom with students who I could work with for the entire year. I enrolled at Wichita State University to get a degree in education and do a job that I really enjoyed.
At Connections Academy, teachers work hard to maintain frequent contact with our students and parents. We work together with the families closely and often even get to know siblings—and sometimes even the names of our students' pets. Our students also get to know each other in LiveLesson® sessions, and many students make friends, who they can get together with at our fieldtrips that we have throughout the state. I feel like I learn so much more about the students because I am not only working closely with them, but also with their parents. I get to know the entire family, which creates a great working relationship with the students and Learning Coaches.
The combination of our fantastic curriculum, caring teachers, and personal help from the Learning Coaches gives students the support they need to be successful.
— Ms. Mendoza
Teachers at an online school have a lot more flexibility to arrange students' schedules to fit their needs. If a student is struggling or excelling in a course, he or she can take more time or move forward. The combination of our fantastic curriculum, caring teachers, and personal help from the Learning Coaches gives students the support they need to be successful. Families in our school get to connect with each other in a way that is impossible in a bricks-and-mortar school. The flexibility of our program allows families to create a schedule that works best for them and their home lives.
During my free time, I spend a lot of time researching my family history. I've traced at least ten family lines back to the East coast in the early 1600's! I also enjoy playing video games with my two kids and watching football with my husband.”