Teaching, and working in schools, is incredibly difficult under any circumstances. During Covid, it has become exponentially so. This week, Laura talks with Naomi Fuentes, a high school teacher in Odessa, Texas. Odessa is known by many as the home of Friday Night Lights and was highlighted in The New York Times podcast The Daily at the beginning of the pandemic. Naomi was prominently featured throughout the series where she shared her – and her community’s – experiences through national loss and mourning, changing mandates, and crushing stress and fatigue. Naomi’s devotion is profound and anyone who crosses paths with her – whenever and however – is truly better for it.
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About Naomi
Naomi Fuentes is a teacher at Odessa High School in Texas where she attended high school herself. She has spent her entire teaching career of 15 years there and is the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Site Coordinator & AVID Elective teacher. Through this work, she provides scaffolded support that educators and students need to encourage college and career readiness and success. Naomi leads trainings around curriculum plans, classroom activities, and how to implement and refine instructional practices. She also helps provide key academic and social support that her students need to thrive.