Name: Sylvia Chavira
Hometown: Born in Honolulu, HI, moved around A LOT (military family) but consider SD my hometown for a total of 36 years.
Years teaching: I have been teaching for 11 years.
Favorite activity/subject when you were a student in the grade currently teaching: I was a cheerleader from the time I was 6 years old through high school and also took hula when I was 7 and 8 years old. My favorite subject was math, especially when I started learning multiplication in the third grade.
Favorite thing about San Diego: My favorite thing about San Diego is Pacific Beach/Crown Point because I have so many wonderful memories growing up there. I lived in Connecticut for 5 years and experienced some seriously COLD weather, so I have a great appreciation for the weather here in San Diego.
Tell us about your family: I have two wonderful daughters, Suzette is 18 and Alexandria (Ally) is 15. They are both in high school, Suzette works part time and Ally plays competitive soccer for Rancho Santa Fe Attack. We have a wonderful cat named Kitty.
How do you nurture inquiry with your students? Through demonstration and guidance of critical thinking, research and collaboration and by allowing students to discuss or debate their findings which may lead to a deeper inquiry.
Hobbies or how you like to spend free time? I love to spend my free time visiting with my family at my sister’s house where we always cook new and delicious things and chat about what we should try the next time we get together 🙂 I also love getting together with my friends regularly and catching up.
Travel or experiences as an IB Teacher: I’ve been to Honolulu, Maui, Kaui, Connecticut, Texas and best of all…Jamaica.
Why did you choose to work at McKinley? I worked at McKinley from 2007-2009 and never forgot how wonderful it felt to be here, so when the opportunity presented itself, I came back 🙂
A word of advice/encouragement for students: No matter where YOU go, there YOU are, always put YOUR best self out there!