Language Arts Teacher of the Week

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Learning how to be a good writer and how to write a good essay can be challenging for any student, but 7th graders at Arlington Middle School have the advantage because their teacher is Tamele Mendez. She's our Teacher of the Week.

"When we come in here, she's not mean. She makes it easier for us to learn," said 7th grader Tianna Tillman.

Another student in her class, Garrett Hackney, adds, "I'm learning a lot. Ms. Mendez is nice, but she's kind of hard on us so I'm learning a lot in this class."

Mendez teaches both writing and reading. Principal Dr. Linda Lisella says she is very knowledgeable with a solid base. "Her students are very faithful to her instruction in her classroom. She's all about, 'This is what we need to do to succeed. This is how we'll succeed and I will help you succeed.'"

Mendez really seems to know her students' strengths and weaknesses and works tirelessly to bridge those gaps. "This is where I need everyone to be and you can get there. Some of you need to work on organization. Some of you it's focus. Some of you it's everything," she tells her class.

One of the things she does is break her students into groups of two so they can read and grade each other's work.

Garrett gave his partner a 1 out of 6. "I gave her a 1 because she only gave one detail."

It's a lesson where everyone is learning to write and recognize good writing.

Ms. Mendez loves what she does and it shows. Last year, all of her students made significant gains on the FCAT, which is quite an accomplishment.

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