Teacher, Mother, Friend

Mrs. Skelly enjoying some family time (Photo provided by Mrs. Skelly)

   Scanning through all teacher names, one specific caught my eye: Mrs. Selena Skelly. I don't know why it interested me, but it did. I immediately asked her if she had some free time so I could interview her. She kindly accepted. Once I got to know her I was shocked; I never thought she'd have the life she does. I discovered she has two lovely children, who are located in the school's nursery during most of the day. When I first saw her, I thought "wow, she's really young and pretty!" I never thought she was a teacher and a mother, and I learned she is dedicated and excellent in her roles. With her blonde hair and light skin, I was surprised to find out she has actually lived in Bolivia for quite a while, nine years total. She came to Bolivia in 2004, and lived in Cochabamba: "I first went to Cochabamba to teach at Calvert. I really wanted to teach in Latin America."  Then I asked where she was before Cochabamba. "I was in Mexico for two years and before that in New York, and before that Colombia. I'm glad I came to Bolivia, I met my husband in Cochabamba. I got married in 2007, so we've been married for six years," she explained.

   Besides being a great mother, she is an excellent teacher who really puts effort into her job. The way she talked about teaching, you could tell she was very passionate about it. Her favorite subject is reading and writing. When I asked her to explain why, she responded with, "My favorite subject to teach would be reading and writing because I really enjoy teaching and being surrounded by children makes it even better. I enjoy that they are really interested in school, learning, I love how they ask so many questions and that they are curious." Her answer made me smile. Knowing a teacher loves her students is very touching. Not all teachers are known for liking their students. Mrs. Skelly takes her time showing kids how to do their homework, teaching them new things and it's refreshing to know some teachers actually enjoy their job to the fullest. I asked her if she had any challenges. "There are challenges. I think that the biggest challenge would be to make the class interesting and dynamic so that all students are staying focused because a lot of times students are getting bored and have a hard time staying on task." 

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          To conclude, Mrs. Skelly is a wonderful teacher, mother and friend. She's loves kids and takes good care of them. She has shown the love and passion for her work. We are glad to have her here and we welcome her to our staff with a warm smile.                                                                                    - Vanessa Luna