Omaha South U-PASS teacher Viangri Sontay-Lopez said when she is not teaching, she enjoys running marathons, traveling and thrifting clothes, then sewing them to fit her properly.
Sontay said some advice she would give to someone interested in teaching is that teaching goes both ways. “Even though it is my job to teach, it’s also fun when students are open to what I’m teaching them,” Sontay said.
Before Sontay’s students graduate high school, she wants them to know they should record or keep memories to look back on the changes and remember how good life was during their high school years.
Sontay said, “The people are the only reason why I get up out of bed every day — to hear about my students’ adventures, no matter how big or small they are.” That is her favorite part about being a teacher.
Some things Sontay has changed as a teacher since she started teaching include realizing that not everything is perfect. She used to want students to already know what they wanted, but she learned she had to meet her students where they were at the beginning.
Some advice Sontay wishes she had gotten before starting her career as a teacher is that it is OK to not know exactly what she wants, as long as she tries her best every day. That, she said, is all that matters as a teacher.
Sontay said one way she learns from and handles failures as a teacher is by reminding herself that it’s OK to fail. “It’s a good thing — that means next year it will all be better,” Sontay said.
