Nancy Chavira is the embodiment of perseverance. Prioritizing building students’ resiliency both in learning and life, Chavira harnesses her experiences and love of teaching to make a lifelong impact on her fifth grade math and science students at Johanna O’Donnell Intermediate School. Fluent in English and Spanish, she teaches in a 50/50 model classroom with a partner teaching English. Ensuring her students comprehend their math and science lessons on a deep level, Chavira sets high standards and yields consistently high results as a classroom teacher and fifth grade lead teacher. In her spare time, Chavira reads with her students in the classroom.
As the first in the district to obtain a Master Teacher Designation from the Texas Education Agency, she mentors first-year teachers at her school and works with the University of Texas at El Paso’s teacher mentor program to host a teacher resident in her classroom. She presents on topics such as Google Classroom setup and effective instructional strategies during professional learning community meetings, is a member of the Texas Computer Education Association, and attends conferences for Sun City EdTech and Texas Association for Bilingual Education. At school, she is a language proficiency assessment committee member, multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) member, University Interscholastic League coach and Destination Imagination coach, leading students to compete at the regional and state levels. Chavira also serves on the district’s dual language task force committee.
Outside of the classroom, Chavira serves as the school’s yearbook coordinator, is a science fair committee member and has taught fall and summer intersessions. She trains families on how to promote reading instruction at home. Further instilling a sense of community, Chavira’s class participates in the annual O’Donnell Christmas Project, working together to build essentials-filled bags for people in Ciudad Juárez.
Chavira earned her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with an EC-6 bilingual generalist concentration from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2015.
Press Release: Fifth Grade Teacher Nancy Chavira Earns a Fabens First: A $25,000 Milken Educator Award
