At Warren-Walker School, we believe the BEST teachers are students, too!
What does it mean to support our Faculty's Professional Growth & Development? The surest way to ensure that teachers continue to learn and grow is to support their efforts to become better at their craft. In turn, this allows them to seek new research-driven strategies, methodologies, and materials that are 1.) in keeping with our Mission, 2.) achieve our ever-evolving curricular goals and objectives, and 3.) engage and enlighten our students.
Why I Teach!
Gulls Teach! Allison Hooker
"My love for science began at a young age - I even won the Science Fair in 8th Grade at Warren-Walker School!"...
Gulls Teach! Anne Marie Kukulj
Mrs. Kukulj tells us that she comes “from a family of teachers; my Mom, a high school English teacher and my brother, a college professor”. Early in her college years...
Gulls Teach! Casslyn Fiser
With her first year as a teacher at WWS almost under her belt, Miss Fiser says that as a child she would “come home from school and teach...
Gulls Teach! Christi Iacono
Mrs. I is that unique WWS employee who has worked as an Office Administrator, parented (2) WWS students, taught Prekindergarten...
Gulls Teach! Crista Frans
Second grade teacher Ms. Frans says she always wanted to be a teacher. “My mom was a teacher, and I felt a passion for bringing magic to children’s Early Childhood Education experiences...
Gulls Teach! Diane Neil
Drama teacher Diane Neil’s first experience with Warren-Walker School was as a member of a traveling, story-teller troupe called “Classics Alive”. In that assembly...
Gulls Teach! Emily Smith
"Teaching chose me!” Miss Smith says. “I studied to become an artist, and to teach for fun, but the universe flipped it on me…”
Gulls Teach! Evan Noyes
Mr. Noyes is finishing up his first year as a teacher for Warren-Walker Middle School, but has taught for five years. Knowing he wanted to be a teacher since high school...
Gulls Teach! Gillian Robinson
"I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. One of my earliest memories was ...
Gulls Teach! Jaclyn Rodieck
"I have always had a passion for Pediatric Oncology, but my volunteer hours at a hospital showed me that it just wasn't the right fit..."
Gulls Teach! Jennifer Songer
Mrs. Songer has been teaching for 36 years, 30 of which have been as leader of our Junior Kindergarten program. Of her career path, she says “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian...
Gulls Teach! Jonathan Lopez
It's very clear to all who know & work with him, that Mr. Lopez is perfectly placed as a teacher of our prekindergarten’s youngest age group, those we call our “littles”...
Gulls Teach! Kelly Derouin
Ms. Derouin is new to our school this year as the Wellness teacher on our La Mesa campus. With a BA in Theatre Arts, she had always planned on becoming an actress...
Gulls Teach! Kyla La Rocca
"I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, so choosing my major in college was a “no-brainer’. As a child development major I had some amazing...
Gulls Teach! Lori Ornelas
"I have learned so much over the course of my 18-year career at Warren-Walker - especially from my colleagues...
Gulls Teach! Maki Hohnstein
"On my 4th birthday, my preschool teacher made me a birthday card. It was handmade...
Gulls Teach! Marcia Martinez
Sra. Marcia Martinez lends a bit of whimsicality to her story about her journey that led her to be a teacher. "There once was a little girl who lived on the border. Literally...
Gulls Teach! Marisa Wilson
Mrs. Wilson has been teaching Kindergarten for 19 years, and this is her first at Warren-Walker School...
Gulls Teach! Maureen Cardosa
A WWS veteran teacher for the past 19 years and now our PK/JK Director on the Point Loma campus, Mrs. Cardosa says that from the time she was about seven years old, she’d recruit the neighborhood children to ‘play school’. “Of course, I...
Gulls Teach! Melissa Cervantes
Sra. Cervantes has been teaching for 11 years, and this is her first at Warren-Walker School. “Being a language teacher has granted me the opportunity to meet people from different countries...
Gulls Teach! Natasha Robinson
Miss Robinson has taught for 11 years, 9 of them at Warren-Walker School. “I chose teaching because kids...
Gulls Teach! Patrick Williams
Having spent the first fifteen years of his “working life” in the business world, Mr. Williams says he needed a change...
Gulls Teach! Paul Saunders
"For 14 years at WWS I have had the pleasure of teaching wonderful young adults, forming powerful relationships...
Gulls Teach! Raven Schweller
Currently the library & information technology teacher on our La Mesa campus, Mrs. Schweller has been at WWS since 2009. “Originally, I went to art school...
Gulls Teach! Sibila Reyes
"As 'easy' as it might look, teaching elementary school students is a big responsibility; they are the future of the planet!"...
Gulls Teach! Fund for Faculty Professional Growth & Development
The purpose of the "Gulls Teach! Fund for Faculty Professional Growth & Development" is to provide the funding and resources necessary for our faculty & staff to pursue such opportunities. Some examples of past professional development workshops and trainings that have been funded by the school include:
- university coursework to achieve certification and attain advanced degrees
- webinars
- conferences
- curricular pilot trainings
- cost of substitute teacher coverage so faculty may observe colleagues, brainstorm and plan curriculum during the school day
- new & unique resources to support multi-faceted units of instruction (i.e. iPads, Robots, learning materials, etc.)
'20-21 Gulls Teach! Funds have supported:
Math Fluency Support: "'Math Reflex' is the most effective program I've found for helping students practice their math facts and strengthen their fact fluency skills...it provides me with a quantifiable metric that replaces traditional testing and scoring to determine a student's mastery...and students love it!" - Keely Bandini/5th Grade
Writer's Workshop: "Both workshops I attended this year helped give me additional ideas that I could use to 'spice up' my writing teaching practice...it is always refreshing to have an opportunity to collaborate with other educators and benefit from their perspectives, too!" - Allison Hooker/ Middle School
Foss & Next Generation Science Standards: "The Kindergarten-5th grade Foss science curriculum provides an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to science, covering topics that are relevant today. It puts learning in the hands of students, allowing ample opportunity for them to ask questions, think critically, record data, and investigate real world problems. Students have also formed a deeper understanding of topics and are able to demonstrate their learning in many ways. Investigations are interactive, exciting, and integrate nicely with our Specialist programs. WWS students love Foss Science!" - Kyla LaRocca/1st Grade
California Credential Clearance: "Funds raised through "Gulls Teach" have afforded me the opportunity to have my induction program paid for with no personal out-of-pocket expenses. This benefit has enabled me to put all my effort in to teaching my class AND further my own learning!" - Patrick Williams/4th Grade
Infant/Toddler Certification: "Lessons I've learned from my certification classes have been directly applicable to my every day classroom routine: safety, development, fundamental theories, assessment strategies and positive guidance. I am able to prepare even more lesson plans that include developmentally appropriate activities which support a student's cognitive, social-emotional, and physical domains. My confidence in the classroom has been boosted tremendously!" - Holly Telliard/ELC
Masters Degree in Secondary Education: ""Attaining my Masters has helped me substantially in the classroom: I can effortlessly differentiate instruction, incorporate the various levels of student understanding, and create assignments that allow students to demonstrate what they've learned. Interestingly, I also now understand how teenage students learn, and can actively modify lessons to suit their needs. Earning my Masters has made me more confident with producing lessons, assessments and projects that align with Next Generation Science Standards!" - Hector del Rio/Middle School
It is through the participation of myriad donors such as you that these types
of individualized, high impact and high quality Professional Development opportunities are possible.