High school is one of the toughest time periods for some of us. We all wish we had a friend to shine light down on us throughout these tough times, but who would be a better friend than someone who already lived through all of this? Teachers. There is one teacher specifically who I know has been shining light on her students for as long as she’s been doing her job, Ms. Ivette Lopez in the reading department.  

Her Teaching   

    What motivated Ms. Lopez to become a teacher was her love of children. Her goals for her and her students are to have most of them pass the FAST test and become who they’re meant to be. Her favorite part about teaching is connecting with the students and learning from each other. 

She loves coming to Miami High every day and interacting with her students and fellow teachers. She believes this is a great school. “The staff and students are great and we’re all like a big family,” she said.  

  She gets along with her students because of their mutual respect. “I respect you, so I expect you to respect me,” she said. She and the rest of the reading teachers on her floor always spend their lunch breaks together. They all get along very well and are able to count on each other. 

   Her classes are very talkative, but one way she gets her kids to quiet down is by just staying quiet. She said as soon as they see her waiting, they quiet down immediately. She rewards her kids after tests and projects by bringing them incentives. She brings them treats and snacks to reward them which makes them work harder because, “No one does anything for free.”  

    Ms. Lopez has made an impact on most of her students but especially the ones she’s able to help. There are countless students who go to her asking for advice and she is always there to give it to them.  So much so, that students still go to her after passing her class and even graduating. 

Before Miami High  

     Before becoming one of our 10th grade Intensive Reading teachers, she was an after-school activity leader at Tropical Park Elementary School. She also taught 3rd Grade for 7 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s in reading from FIU (Florida International University) which she says is a “great university”.  

    Growing up, Ms. Lopez had a great childhood. She grew up here in Miami in a loving and caring family. She remains family-oriented, and her family is one of her top priorities. Ms. Lopez has always loved school. She said she loved being in high school and she was a great student. One of her goals since being a teenager was to become a mother, “a dream come true,” she said. 

Outside of Miami High  

     Outside of these 7 buildings, Ms. Lopez has a very busy life. She has 1 son and 1 daughter in college and another daughter in high school. Not only is she a teacher and a mother, but she is also on the path to becoming a life coach. 

    What motivated Ms. Lopez to become a life coach was her love of always helping people. She said, “I feel like I’ve been life coaching my whole life. I wanted to pursue this to learn all the tools that will help others live life fully in the present. I want people to live by faith and not fear.”  

   So far, she’s learned so much from her sessions. She’s learning the theories of psychology and putting them into practice while also being spiritually guided. Ms. Lopez said she will continue pursuing this as she believes everyone should continue to learn and grow. Her goal is to be able to help people become the best version of themselves.  

 Instagram : @InsightswithIvette