Veronica Burgos-Wolfe

Growing up in the South Bronx, I'm the youngest in a family of 8 I'm Puerto Rican. My parents always said education is number one, and I always strived for that. When I graduated from college and became a teacher, I began teaching in all the schools in my neighborhood, because students always have that mentality that teachers are rich, you live in a big house, you live in Westchester County, and I'm like, no, I live 3 blocks away from you in the South Bronx. I wanted to teach in schools that I was able to relate to the parents and the students, because I had the same upbringing as them. I understand parents that are striving for their child to be better, but under circumstances of housing, and food, and work. I was able to relate to that because I had the same upbringing. The environment, the love that my teachers gave me, and my parents, really shaped me. My oldest sister became a teacher - we're almost 18 years apart, and she graduated from Hunter College and taught at Hunter for a little bit. I saw that my oldest sister did that when I was a little girl, and I said, you know, I would love to be a teacher, but she taught with the adults, I wanted to teach within my own community. It was nice that once I got home, I saw my students in my building, or in the bodega store, or in the supermarket, and they can see that I'm a human. I live in the same neighborhood, I work hard, and I don't live in a rich apartment or home. I live in the same community as them, and I understand them, and I understand the struggles they were going through in school. My dad also worked in the school as a custodian, and I have another sister that she still works in the Department of Education. I was always around education. I would go to the school and help my dad clean the classrooms, or go visit my sister. You'd see teachers and kids, so that was the motivation, like, I want to be in education.

Throughout my career, I've been blessed with amazing mentors who shaped my journey. Dr. Brian Blough was my principal at two different schools - he's the most amazing principal, the most amazing human being. He's been recognized by the mayor of New York, by the chancellor. When I worked with him, he was one of my professors that helped me get my dual master's at MCNY. He was wonderful, so supportive. If we had to go to school, he would cover my classes, and then I would go to my graduate school, and then he would meet us there, because he was also my professor. He was very supportive to all the staff. He was the reason why I went and got my master's, and he is the one that I am writing my dissertation on. I'm writing my papers on ethical decision-makings on my principles, and he's the only one that I really know that takes to heart his staff, the students, the parents. Every decision involves everybody. He's the most amazing human being. All my high school teachers at Jane Addams Vocational High School - each and every one of those teachers contributed a lot, from my English teachers, to my history teachers to the assistant principals. They're the reason why I learned to love teaching, and they're the reason why I became a teacher. Growing up in the South Bronx, in a household of 8 people in a Puerto Rican environment, it was really, really hard. They gave me the support that I needed, the understanding. They pushed me. I was an honors student when I graduated. They pushed me with my dancing career, my education career. Ms. Harris and Mrs. Brodsky were wonderful. Mrs. Brodsky is the reason why I got into dancing. I had two left feet, and Mrs. Brodsky sent me out to Alvin Ailey, and she said, you're gonna be one of those 100 students out of 1,000 that would get that scholarship. I went and did the ballet with two left feet, got a letter that I got a full scholarship. Mrs. Brodsky saw something in me that I didn't see. Ms. Harris was always wonderful. I was like a daughter to her. When I see them, they're in their 90s, they're in their 80s, and I still feel like that little girl from when I was 14 years old. One of my favorite teachers, Mr. Finkelstein, is I think 93. I hadn't seen him in over 20 years, and he made the effort to come to the reunion to see me. I was one of his favorite pupils. He was like, you know, you're one that we never forget.

Try to find educational individuals, teachers, principals that can really guide them and provide good guidance and advice, and take a lot of professional development classes, because every year, everything is changing. When I started 32 years ago, until I retired, I learned so much when it came down to technology, to different ways of teaching, even math. Math is not even taught the way we were taught. So try to have good mentors - it is very important. I've had the best mentors ever. I had my teachers from high school, I've met wonderful principals, assistant principals, amazing teachers that I always kept in touch, and even if we went our separate ways, we will call each other - I need advice, can you help me with this lesson plan? Just find a good group of mentors. It's so important, and people that really provide good advice, and just being there, motivating you. That's very powerful, because I see my students that are now in their 40s, they became teachers, now they're principals, they're assistant professors working in different states, and I'm so proud of them. Sometimes they even contact me and say, hey, can you give me advice, or can you give me a recommendation? I'm like, of course, I'm so proud of you, like, you've reached that level. They were like, because you and the other teachers we had, you motivated us. You don't think about it - you teach them, they grow up, and then they say, you were one of those teachers that motivated us, because we saw that love that you had for us, not only as a teacher, but as an educator, and as a mother.

The challenges are that in the schools that I worked in, sometimes the administration didn't give us the resources we needed and the support. Also, as a veteran teacher, sometimes I was pushed away by the administration, and even the younger teachers, because they think, because I'm in the old mindset that I wasn't open-minded. And I told them to be a very good educator, you have to be open-minded, because education is always changing. They always assume, oh, she's been teaching for so many years, she's not going to want to learn how to teach the new math, or how to use new learning styles, because she's set in her ways. And I was like, no, you need to be open-minded that even the older, experienced teachers, we're still learning. I can teach you what I learned, what I experienced, what worked for me, but I see that in schools, there's not a lot of support for the older generations of teachers. And it breaks my heart. That's why I said I would like to be a consultant so I could be in the classroom, and I could work with all different types of age groups of teachers, from those who just came out of college to the old-timers that have been teaching over 20 years. I believe that effective educators, regardless of age or years of experience, must remain open-minded and committed to lifelong learning. I see tremendous value in fostering collaboration between newer and more experienced educators. Veteran teachers bring years of practical knowledge, classroom management skills, and proven strategies, while newer teachers often introduce fresh perspectives, innovative techniques, and emerging educational trends. The most successful schools are those where educators learn from one another and recognize the strengths that each generation brings to the profession. One of the greatest opportunities in education lies in bringing educators together, creating a culture of mutual respect, and ensuring that learning remains a lifelong journey for both students and teachers alike.

I value that I was given the opportunity to give back to the community. I was given that chance, and many people don't get that chance of growing up in schools that teachers pay attention to them, to love, and then you grow up, and you go to college, and you say, you know what, I want to give back. I want to become a teacher, I want to become a doctor, I want to become police officers, or whatever, and I want to give back. I value that I was given that chance of going to a very good college, meeting such amazing people, and working in my different jobs in different schools, and even being supported by my old high school teachers. I keep in touch with all my students from when I taught them in middle school, elementary, and high school. I've taught second generations. I value that I get the opportunity to see my students grow up, have their own family, become teachers. I have some that were the most difficult students in the school, and they email me, or they text me - I'm so sorry I gave you such a hard time, and I became a police officer, or I became a firefighter, or I'm a doctor. They're like, you always remember what you always said, you gotta give back to the community, because you're here to make it a better place. I always told my students, when I retire or when I leave this earth, you're the future, you're going to continue that legacy. So, even though you're struggling in school, try to push yourself and do better so you can give back. So when I'm gone, I know that you've made a difference in this world. I value that I was given the chance as a mother, as a teacher, as an educator, to give back to the community, and even give back for my son.