Meet the Teacher
I’m April Perez, a Brownsville educator and UTRGV graduate. I started teaching swim lessons when I was 14, and it was my first experience being responsible for helping a child learn something new. I loved watching students become more confident as something that was once difficult started to click.
As I got older, I intentionally looked for more opportunities to work with children and learn from different educational settings. I’ve worked with students through tutoring, enrichment programs, student teaching, substitute teaching, and individualized behavioral support. Each experience has given me a different perspective on how children learn and has helped shape the kind of teacher I want to be.
What I like most about teaching is getting to know my students, figuring out what works for them, and finding ways to make learning something they genuinely want to be part of. I want my students to know that they can ask questions, make mistakes, try again, and be proud of their progress.
Classroom Vision
When someone walks into my classroom, I want them to see students doing the learning: asking questions, talking through their thinking, creating, collaborating, and figuring things out. I want my classroom to be a place where students are comfortable saying “I don’t know yet,” because they know making mistakes and trying again are part of learning.
I also want students to feel ownership of our classroom. They should know what is expected of them, feel comfortable being themselves, and know that their ideas matter. My goal is to create a classroom that is warm and welcoming, but also purposeful and structured, so students have both the confidence and the support they need to grow.
Teaching Philosophy
I believe students learn best when they are active participants in their learning. Strong instruction gives students a clear purpose and the support they need, while still leaving room for curiosity, creativity, discussion, and discovery. My role is not only to teach the content, but to create the conditions that help each student engage with it, make connections, and experience success.
- Purposeful & Standards-Aligned: I begin with clear learning goals and use the TEKS to guide instruction, while finding engaging and meaningful ways for students to work toward those goals.
- Responsive & Differentiated: Students do not all need the same support to reach the same goal. I adjust modeling, questioning, grouping, pacing, and scaffolds based on what students show me they need.
- Active & Hands-On: I want students doing more than listening. I use discussion, investigation, collaboration, movement, creativity, and hands-on experiences to give students opportunities to apply what they are learning.
- Relationships & Community: Students are more willing to participate, take risks, and persevere when they feel known and respected. I prioritize strong relationships, clear expectations, consistency, and a classroom community where students support one another.
Learning should feel like discovery, but every great investigation needs purpose, structure, and a clear destination.