Edulastic Innovator Spotlight: Jessica Ontiveros

Get to know Jessica Ontiveros

Introducing Edulastic Innovator Spotlight member Jessica Ontiveros! Jessica teaches 8th grade math while additionally working as her school’s Math Department Head. Jessica has worked in education for 14 years and currently teaches in Laredo, TX. An Edulastic user of 4 years, Jessica loves using Edulastic for class assessments, benchmarks, semester exams, practice tests, and daily check-ins. Read on to learn more about how Jessica uses Edulastic!

Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher because I had amazing ones that truly took the time to make sure I learned and have fun with learning.

What do you love about teaching?

I love to teach. I love to share knowledge, stories, and just goofy stuff. What truly motivates me is knowing that my students are learning and also, that I am allowed to share all that I’m using in my classroom with my colleagues! They all know I love to share!

What are your teaching goals this school year?

This year, I would love to focus on social emotional learning. Edulastic allows me to decrease stress on my part and my students. It has so much to offer so my goal is to differentiate by giving them multiple question formats and always allowing them to keep trying until they reach mastery.

How did you discover Edulastic?

One colleague shared a benchmark test on Edulastic for the district to use. My first reaction to the test was, “What is this 😲 ?” I opened the test, assigned it, and fell in love 😍 with the platform, specifically the Live Class Board. I never went back to anything else.

My ”aha” moment was when I discovered the multiple options to create a test question! I was amazed, I didn’t know which one to use … too many to choose from. I absolutely love it!

What are your teaching goals this school year?

My number one goal this year is to get my classroom to be almost completely student centered. I am really focusing on discovery learning, hands on activities, and a lot of collaboration in student groups and with the teacher. I am really excited to see how this year goes!

What are some tips for teachers who are new to Edulastic?

Don’t give up on how to navigate the platform. It gets easier and easier. Subscribe to Edulastic YouTube Channel.

What is your teaching philosophy?

It takes a village to raise a child! Teaching is a process of learning from your students, colleagues, parents, and the community. We learn from everyone around us.