Our Spotlight on Outstanding Teachers
Today: Rafranz Davis M.S. Ed, District Instructional Technology Specialist & Math Educator
What do teachers make? They make a difference! Teachers are the most important part of what we do at DBE. But let’s get real! Teachers are some of the most important people in our society…period!
Meet the Champions shines a spotlight on outstanding teachers, and how they make a difference. Right here on the Quick Key Blog, we will be interviewing real working teachers from around the globe, who make a difference in their classrooms every day.
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Rafranz Davis is a highly sought after connected educator. She is an Invitee to Discovery Ed’s Beyond the Textbook, an ISTE presenter, #rscon4 presenter, SMART Exemplary Educator, Haiku Deck Guru, Discovery Ed Star Educator, and Discover Ed Leadership Council member. She is impressive!
I know Rafranz as a kind connected educator. I tweeted her early one morning last year and she responded authentically and kindly. That was the start of one of the most valuable relationships I have on Twitter. Rafranz is eager to support any teacher with her insight and advice about anything, and it is always spot on! Additionally, Rafranz challenges the status quo with her blog http://rndesigns.com/, questioning assumptions about what we as educators do in the classroom. Thank you Rafranz, you are a STAR!!!
So, without further ado…let’s meet a champion!
DBE: Why did you choose to become a teacher?
RD: I wanted to make a difference in my community. I wanted kids who were like me to see teachers who look like them. That didn’t exist in my community.
DBE: What is the biggest highlight from this year?
RD: I served a different school district as a math strategist last year. When I changed districts, a few teachers joined me in my new location as well. While that was awesome, the best part is that the relationships that I established still stand today and that speaks volumes.
DBE: Tell us about a teacher who inspired you. How did they do it? What made them great?
RD: My college professor is still my mentor for my career and life. What made her great is that she didn’t slack from holding us accountable to grow. She made sure that we understood that graduating college was not the end of our education but that it would need to continue in order to continue to meet the needs of our learners. Clearly, she was well ahead of her time yet right on time where we needed it most.
DBE: How can technology help educators be more efficient in the classroom?
RD: Technology enables students to have access to information beyond a book or their teacher. It enables them to expand their knowledge, share and utilize skills that will serve as the framework of their lives for years to come. I think that a better question should have been how technology enables students to be more efficient because at the end of the day, their interaction with technology is what matters most.
DBE: What is really hard about constantly learning as a connected educator?
RD: The only hard part about learning is that at some point we have to stop learning and sleep. I deal with it by sleeping, as the rest incurred from it enables me to have the strength to learn every hour that I’m awake.
