Daily interactions with our students have changed significantly due to COVID-19. During our #TeacherFeature series throughout the month of October, we are highlighting teachers in the district that are continuing to impact students’ experiences . Meet Lexi Cuomo.
Lexi Cuomo
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I watched my mom, who was a teacher, build close relationships with her students and colleagues, and I knew I wanted to do just that. I am in my third year teaching Social Studies at Colonie High School, and my seventh year all together. I continue to love going to work everyday! I am passionate about teaching history and I am currently teaching U.S. History and AP European History. My goal is to make history fun and engaging for my students through class discussions and by making connections between the past and present day.
One of my favorite things about teaching is building relationships with my students. It is important for me to get to know each student beyond their test scores and performance in class. I enjoy getting to know the whole person- what they enjoy doing in their free time and what they want to do when they graduate. I like to make an individual connection with each student and one of the ways I do that is through an attendance question every day. Instead of asking my students to say “here” when calling attendance, they are answering questions such as “Do you prefer Moes or Chipotle?”, “What’s one place you wish you could travel?” and “What’s your favorite kind of pizza?” My goal is to get to know a little more about each student every day and I hope they get to know more about me as well. I have made sure to continue this fun activity even in hybrid learning. Now I have virtual and in-person students sharing their answers through a Google Meet and getting to know each other, despite being in different locations.
To ensure I provide the best schooling experience possible to my students, over the past few months I have honed my virtual teaching skills. I have been creating online workbooks and creating daily synchronous learning opportunities for my students as I teach through Google Meet every day. I’ve also enjoyed sharing some of my teaching strategies with my colleagues and developing lessons in cooperation with my awesome co-workers in the Social Studies Department.
I not only enjoy teaching at Colonie, but getting involved in the school community. I am a co-advisor of both i-Care and CHAMP and have helped plan events like Raiderfest and the Pep Rally. Being involved in these clubs allow me to make a positive impact on the Colonie community and work with students outside of the classroom. I love being a part of the Colonie community!