by Corinne Gries
From a young age Angelina was found herself at home working in the classroom. Before school she did odd jobs for teachers in her building and was encouraged and motivated by the ways they challenged her to do her best. Those teachers always made her feel special and valued; something Angelina now makes the central focus for the students in her own classroom.
Hometown: Lyons, Illinois
Current City: Mishawaka, Indiana
College/Degree: Saint Mary’s College- Bachelor’s of Art in Elementary Education with a licensure in Mild Intervention & Ball State University- High Ability Licensure
Current position and school: Sixth grade teacher at Beiger Elementary School in the School City of Mishawaka District
Years in teaching: I just completed my fourth year of teaching. My first two years were at Washington Discovery Academy in Plymouth, Indiana teaching first and second grade. I then moved to my current position at Beiger Elementary.
Three words your students would use to describe your classroom: I hope my students would describe my classroom as warm, engaging, and safe.
Go to resources that support you and your students: A resource that helps me to support my students and keep them engaged are my fellow educators. The educators in my building are helpful, creative, and inspirational. In addition to the teachers in my building, some of my favorite resources are blogs and posts from educators around the world. Teachers have many amazing ideas that I am able to research and adapt to my own classroom and students. These posts are the best resources and have been used in some of my favorite lessons or activities I have done thus far in my teaching career.
Describe Beiger Elementary School in one sentence: Beiger Elementary is a Title 1 school that is welcoming with a passionate faculty and staff who strive to provide the best for students, where every day is a great day to be a Bulldog!
Share what gives you energy in your classroom: My students are my driving force day in and day out. Having students share about their lives motivates me to make each day important for them. Some of the best moments are when a student’s face lights up from a fun activity or a “lightbulb” goes off when a student understands a challenging concept for the first time. These moments give me energy to apply myself and do my best for students each day.
Favorite book you read this year: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Your go to activities to recharge: I love to bake, listen to music, and spend time with my family and friends.
Interesting tidbits: I grew up in a small suburb outside of Chicago with my tight knit Serbian family. I learned Serbian as I grew up and was able to study Greek, French, and Italian throughout my schooling. Languages have always fascinated me and I hope to travel to these locations someday. One of the things I miss most living away from home is my mom’s cooking!
Advice to new teachers entering the profession: The best advice I can give a new teacher is: don’t be afraid to ask for help. No one expects you to be an expert on your first day, and it is okay to not have all of the answers. The best teachers are constantly seeking ways to improve and asking the educators around for advice is one of the best ways to learn. We strive to make our students lifelong learners and need to learn from one another each day as well.
The students at Beiger Elementary in Mishawaka, Indiana are fortunate to have Angelina Lazovich as their teacher, her dedication to the profession and students is an asset to the community.
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