TTU K-12 Electives Expert Meets Students Where They Are

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

Electives lead teacher, Desiree Matlock, has a passion for helping students who are not having their educational needs fully met by their brick-and-mortar schools for one reason or another. That's why she's also passionate about teaching for TTU K-12.

Teaching for a total of 10 years, she's been with TTU K-12 for four years this August. Matlock teaches health and PE primarily, but she also has one English 2 course. Prior to coming to TTU K-12, she taught English for grades 6-10, with most of her time spent teaching ninth-grade English. She also coached grades 7-12.

"I find it very fulfilling to help facilitate an education for those students that meets them where they are," Matlock says. "That's the main reason I wanted to become an instructor for TTU K-12."

But for as much as she loves leading her online students, she says there are definitely challenges to teaching virtually.

"The most challenging aspect of online teaching for me is not getting to see my students in person," Matlock explained. "I do miss the daily face-to-face interactions that come with a brick-and-mortar classroom sometimes, as that is where I got to really know the personalities of my students. I find that I can still see that with online teaching though the "getting to know you" and "just checking in" assignments that are integrated into our classes as well as through course messages and online tutorial sessions."

Matlock says what guides her most in her teaching philosophy is her belief in student-led education. She says if students are asking questions, investigating their gaps in knowledge, and learning about their passions, she will see them truly blossom and soar.

"Is that not what we want as people? To be able to pursue our passions?" she asks rhetorically. "For me in the classroom, this looks like offering a lot of choices for students in what they research and present about, what they choose to read, and even allowing students to lead lessons."

And Matlock doesn't hesitate when asked about the most rewarding aspect of her job.

Easily the most rewarding part of being an educator, she says, is seeing students "get it."

"It's that moment when they go from confusion and not understanding to understanding, accepting new knowledge, and learning to just run with it. Nothing is more rewarding for me than that moment," Matlock said.

To get to that moment, she has one biggest piece of advice for students: get organized! "Learn to keep a calendar or planner and actually utilize it. That will help with any level of study and any discipline of study," she says emphatically. "I have been using a planner since grade six, and I have no plans of stopping. I don't think I could if I wanted to!"