Luisa Ochoa
What do you enjoy most about your role?
What I enjoyed the most is building relationships with my students. Getting to know them, knowing what is important for them is my starting point. I try to engage their heart so that learning can happen. Then the magic starts. I love seeing my students grow in confidence, especially in Maths, an area where a lot of students think they are not good at. I love those light bulb moments, they are addictive for a teacher. I also enjoy when I have students who quietly love Maths. Seeing them delight with a Maths problem and their faces when they solve it. It is a joy to witness.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I usually start my days early. I get a cup of coffee and check homework and prepare feedback for my students. I always have to do this early because the girls would have finished their homework the night before. Then get ready, get my kids ready and arrive at Avila. The morning is always busy at Avila. It is the time to talk to colleagues about lessons, activities, assessments and prepare materials for class. Then the day starts, it is always very busy, from class to class, yard duties, planning periods, etc. I usually leave early in the afternoon because I have to pick up my kids to take them to their extracurricular activities. Then, get home, cook dinner, play some games with the kids, then is bath time. My husband does bath time during the weeks so that I can do some planning. I usually use this time to record some videos, that is why sometimes in the videos my kids will be having a tantrum in the background. My students love to hear them, so those moments become like ester eggs the students look for when watching a video I have created.
The most rewarding aspect of working at Avila?
Avila is a very special school. I love the Avila community. The staff are incredible people and amazing, dedicated, and experienced teachers. I learn every day from them. Teachers at Avila are always looking how to improve learning, how can things be done better. There is a lot of collegiality and support gaming staff. Our students are also beautiful. They are kind and generous. I love walking through the corridors and catching up with students that I haven’t taught in the past years but they keep me in the loop about what is happening in their lives.
Why did you choose to work in Catholic education?
I don’t think I would be able to teach without God. God for me is at the centre of my teaching vocation. In fact, I changes careers because I felt God was calling me to become a teacher. In the same way, I started teaching RE because I felt God calling me to do it. One of my biggest faults as a teacher is that I talk too much as sometimes (very often) I go on tangents while teaching. Very often, my faith will come into those stories. For me, an education without God is an incomplete education, like a table without a leg. I also went to a Catholic School in Colombia, and not always my faith has been at the front and centre of my life, but I believe the seed was the Catholic Education I received, which flourished later in my life when I needed it the most and has given me many blessings. One of those: becoming a teacher.
What makes Avila College a great learning community?
In a nutshell, it is the people. The values of Avila are lived in their people. From the admin staff to maintenance, to the teachers, to the students and their families. The Avila community is a caring community and it is about actions and not only words. We reflect on the small and the big things we do every day.