Meet Mrs. Lopez, one of Miami High’s best reading teachers. If you know anything about Mrs. Lopez, you know what an amazing teacher she is. She is someone who has helped me improve in the subject of reading greatly and become more confident in myself when it comes to literature and writing. When I first met Mrs. Lopez in my sophomore year of high school, I had this sense of relief because I just knew that I would be well taught and cared for in her classroom. 

How did her love for reading begin? 

   Mrs. Lopez realized that she loved literature when she was just in middle school. She began to read novels such as the Judy Blume books and Flowers in the Attic (a gothic novel written by V.C Andrew’s). She felt that she could relate to these books and take a break from reality for a short while as she read them.  

    Growing up Mrs. Lopez says her favorite genre was Realistic Fiction because of its “believable settings, characters, and experiences.” However, as she grew older, her favorite genre evolved into religious and spiritual books because of her faith and her inexplicable desire to understand why we were meant to be on this Earth. 

   In middle school, her English teacher read something Mrs. Lopez had written and expressed her admiration for her writing abilities and encouraged Ms. Lopez to write for the school newspaper, so she signed up for journalism class all thanks to her teacher at the time. Mrs. Lopez believes the power that teachers have in changing lives and inspiring students often starts with students feeling understood, followed by encouraging words. This is what that teacher did for her; she inspired Mrs. Lopez to become an educator so she can spread that motivation and potential to others. 

Finding the Job for Her 

   Mrs. Lopez’s first career choice was to be a journalist as she worked on the yearbook in high school. Although her love for writing never changed, her career choice had to due to her realization that being a journalist would take away time from being at home and her number one job in life, which was to be a mother. This is when she ultimately decided to become a teacher, a job where she could share her love for reading with her students as well as help them to be seen and encourage them to become who they were meant to be in this world. 

     While attending Miami Dade and F.I.U. she worked at an after-school program that gave her the “hands on experience” with kids, also confirming her decision to become a teacher. 

     In being a teacher for all these years, she has learned the importance of being present to really understand whatever it is her students are reading and learning. She says, “The more I practice mindfulness, the more I enjoy everything about life, especially the relationships that I have developed with every person I meet, whether I am at work or at home. Having the ability to impact the lives of others in a positive way is a great act of service that I feel blessed to do every day as a teacher!” 

      Mrs. Lopez first started teaching at Comstock Elementary School and Maya Angelou Elementary School. She taught 3rd grade for 7 years before she became a stay-at-home mom for 12 years the moment her son was born. 

    She returned to teaching when her kids were all in school, and because she had got her Masters in reading at F.I.U., she decided to teach Intensive Reading here at Miami Senior High and has been teaching here for 14 years ever since. 

How Has Teaching at MHS Helped Her Grow in Life? 

   Since Mrs. Lopez believes that we never truly stop learning, she feels that teaching at Miami High has helped her keep growing academically as well as spiritually any time that she reads a new novel with her students. She also appreciates the meaningful interactions between her and her students. Mrs. Lopez says, “My students learn from me, but I also learn from them!” 

   Mrs. Lopez expresses, “The moment I became a mom, I became a better teacher because I see my kids in my students, and my students help me connect more with my own children. The love I receive from my students fills my mom cup!” 

What Her Students Think of Her 

   Most, if not all, of Mrs. Lopez’s students have become more confident when it comes to reading even after just a few classes with her. Victoria Suarez, a sophomore, says, “Mrs. Lopez has taught me different techniques to identify the main idea of texts and stories. I like her teaching style and how she is very patient with students as well.” 

   Derek Luna, another sophomore, states, “Mrs. Lopez has shown me real life lessons that come from books and novels. For example, we just recently finished reading the novel Fahrenheit 451, reading this novel with her really showed me the importance of knowledge and books.” 

   Randy Carillo, a sophomore, says, “I think Mrs. Lopez has taught me how important it is to understand what the books you read are trying to say. I learned that just reading even a few pages of a book does a lot for you in life, and I am grateful that I had a teacher like her to teach me that.” 

Life Outside of School 

   Mrs. Lopez enjoys spending her free time by learning more about her faith and listening to the daily mass, worship music and watching shows like “The Chosen.”  

   Family life means everything to Mrs. Lopez. She believes having the opportunity to work with her sister Mrs. Utrera is a blessing. They both get to share what is happening in their personal lives as well as discuss work and what is going on in the world we live in. Their bond gets stronger every day! 

   Mrs. Lopez’s family is especially supportive about her career choice because they loved that she chose a career in education, because they understand the importance of getting an education to succeed in life. 

     Overall, Mrs. Lopez is an amazing teacher who has years of experience and expertise in her job. She is someone I hope many more students get to meet and appreciate. I believe having her as a teacher is a blessing, and I am beyond grateful for everything she has taught me. She has made a lasting impact on this school, and every lesson she teaches is a great contribution to Miami High.