Karina Ferriera is a new assistant principal at Lively Middle School. This is her first year at Lively and she is excited so far. I got the chance to sit down with her to learn more about her.
What degrees or certifications do you hold?
I have the masters degree, and I have a principal certification. My undergrad is from University of Paris and then my graduate degree is from the University of Texas at Austin.
What’s your history in teaching?
I started working in schools when I was doing my undergrad in France. I worked at the middle school. And then when I came here, I worked in a private school in San Antonio for a year. Then when I did my master’s at UT, I taught, at UT too as a TTA. and then I started my career in public education at a high school in Del Valle and I stayed there 15 years and then I wanted to try middle school again, and so I came here.
What led you to Lively?
I think I wanted to see how different districts did things. Because I was in Del Valle district and I was curious about how Austin district was. I’ve been very pleased, and then Lively specifically, I feel like it’s just a really interesting mix of students that you have here. You kind of ask students from very different backgrounds, mingling together here in this little microcosmos and I find it very…It’s kind of how
the world is of all these different people mingling, and I think this (school) has that. The school where I was didn’t have as much diversity. It’s much more diverse here.
What do you love about Lively so far?
I really like to be in the campus that has so much history. I think that’s just really cool. Coming from Paris, I think we’re used to having those historical backgrounds here. It’s just not as common. and I think the school has changed a lot throughout the years from what I gather and I kind of like that I am part of this year’s history.
What made you decide to be a assistant principal?
I taught a total of 13 years and I think I was a for a new challenge. I think teaching in some ways is very repetitive every year you do, you know, and I taught the same thing. So maybe if I had taught something different, it would have been a different experience, but I always thought French and I think maybe I was tired of that part, but I still liked the aspect of the kids. And so to me that was able to stay within this school system and being around kids, but in a different capacity. And I think when you are a teacher, you have a lesson to teach and you have 30 kids in the classroom. Now I’m able to do more one-on-one, which I like. I don’t have an agenda of a lesson to teach. And so I can just get to be with a kid, and not like that. I like that it’s different too.
What inspires you?
I mean, I would say a lot of things. I think a desire for justice inspires me. what I mean by that is in many ways I think that a school is a place where we get to right some wrongs and provide kids things that maybe that with their background it’t necessarily get. and I really like that. I think that really inspires me. I also really like to hear the kids dreams and desires of what they wanna do when they tell me, you know, like yesterday I was talking with some of them and they were saying that they wanted to be a lawyer and an astronaut. and I want them to get there, you know. And so I think to
see that kinder in a child of having their dreams is just really sweet, and I like I don’t have kids of my own. And so I think this is definitely like my perspective is like, y’all are my kids, you know? And I want to be a support for whatever it is that a kid would want to do with their life.
What’s the best/worst thing about being an AP?
The best thing is the kids,I think you’ll have a certain energy, and something that you know as adults, we don’t have anymore. And it’s sweet and fun to be around that age. Because we’re not like that, you know. I like that. I’m pretty serious and I feel like kids loosen me up. the worst thing I think it was probably like having so many things that you have to do and not being able to get to all of them. you know, like I would talk to you for two hours if I could. But I have a bunch of things that I need to go to, so sometimes it is hard to feel that I can’t slow down or take as much time with a child as I would want to, because there are other things that I have to get done.
If you could enroll in another teacher’s class at Lively to learn from them, what class would you take and why?
Probably an art class just because I like art. I miss works back. I’d like also guitar. I thought it would be fun to be in the Mrs.Calvelo’s class.
