Oscar Perales (@operales72) | #BowTieTuesday
Introduction: Happy new school year to all of my fellow educators! I hope the new year has been off to a smooth and successful start! It was a busy summer for myself but am extremely excited to get back to my #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight’s for the 2018-2019 school year. Tipping off the new school year, I had the pleasure of getting to meet this fellow math teacher, football coach, doctoral student – basically, the Texan version of myself – at the Desmos Fellowship we were both fortunate enough to attend this past July. I have brainwashed him into becoming another #BowTieBrand ambassador…just kidding! Anyway, it is my pleasure this week to recognize the dedicated efforts of Mr. Oscar Perales (@operales72), a high school mathematics teacher in Dallas, Texas.
Also, he’s the first non-Jersey recipient!
Educational Pursuit: Oscar obtained his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Baylor University and is currently in pursuit of his Ed. D. in educational technology from Boise State. I told you, the Texas version of myself.
Recanting his reasoning for joining the profession, Oscar informed me that he grew up in a small farming community outside of Dallas (Royse City). He was heavily influenced by his physics teacher, Mr. Smith, and football coach, Coach Webb. Mr. Smith was a challenging yet loving teacher that had a knack of making class engaging and meaningful. Coach Webb was the head football coach who had the ability to motivate his team to the state semi-finals, a huge accomplishment in Texas football. More importantly, however, the commonality between the two was their ability to establish connections with ALL of their students and athletes.
Oscar had once heard Coach Webb say that “kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”, a creed he tries to embody as an educator and one I share with him. Mr. Smith challenged each and every one of his students, striking the perfect balance between compassion and assertiveness. Oscar wanted to make a positive impact on those around him, which ignited his decision of pursuing a career in education. He chose mathematics because although it was a subject he enjoyed, it was still a challenge to him . In these last six years as an educator, he’s learned to appreciate the value of a “growth mindset” and the impact it can have on student mathematical learning and self-efficacy. As technology continues to grow and evolve, he looks forward to exploring the potential impacts new technological resources bring to the table, and more importantly how educators can ensure that they’re serving a valuable purpose to their maximum potential.
Most Memorable Moment: Oscar has been blessed with many wonderful memories of his students throughout the years, with many of them involving watching his students grow and develop their mathematical self-efficacy. In general, there is no better feeling in the world than when a struggling student who used to “hate” math informs you that they finally understand it better.
One particular moment that he is particularly proud of occured during his time as a first year teacher. He created a Latin Dance Society group at his high school in Waco, Texas. The culminating moment was when they performed at a salsa convention in Austin. The event featured performances from professional dancers from across the globe, and they were the only high school team to share the stage with them. They were so wonderfully nervous before the performance, and afterwards were filled with so much adrenaline and excitement as they had received a standing ovation. Their picture at that performance remains in his room to this day.
Personal Learning Interests: Oscar’s doctoral pursuit has him currently focused on research Research surrounding technology-enhanced learning environments with an emphasis on high school mathematics education, applying the universal design for learning framework to ensure math is accessible to all.
Lastly, he spends the rest of his free time learning about offensive line performance (building skill aquisition, technique) and Buddhism (unlocking the mind, pursuing happiness, letting go of the “self”).
The Fun Stuff
Oscar’s go-to Karaoke Song: Depending on his mood, Oscar has two go-to karaoke songs: Gold Digger by Kanye West or Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
Oscar’s Inside Scoop: Bearing witness to Oscar’s inside scoop during our #FellowsWeekend, he was a Latin Dance Instructor/Choreographer/Performer/DJ/coordinator in college.
Thank you, Oscar, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I am grateful that we connected over our affinity for coaching and dancing that 2nd evening in San Francisco! Never did I imagine that our impromptu trip that night would translate into the friendship we have nowadays and the positive impact you have had on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.
Thanks for reading and sharing!
Bow-Tie Joe
