Franky Morazan: 'I teach because the kids give me life'

 

Franky Morazan

Kindergarten Teacher, Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy

 

Kindergarten teacher Franky Morazan is in his fourth year at Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy and he’s confident there’s no other place he’d rather be than working with young children in a community that’s thriving.

 

“I teach because the kids give me life. They help me feel young because we play a lot and then I learn so much from them, just by being around them and the way they see the world and their perspective,” Morazan said during a recent interview with MPUSD.

 

After navigating distance learning during the 2020-2021 school year, Morazan says his students are learning to face challenges and develop skills to help them build a solid educational foundation.

 

 

“I think education is so important and I just want to give my students the tools they need to succeed. And that includes being socially intelligent, that includes being able to advocate for themselves and really help them with their literacy,” Morazan said.

 

Morazan graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing. He earned his teaching credential from California State University Monterey Bay and started working for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District in 2018.

 

He says the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges, but believes teachers are accustomed to constant change.

 

“We’re here to support each other. And so, I know I can go to my colleagues, and they can support me with either resources, like what are we teaching? Maybe a lesson plan or a worksheet that they’re working on or maybe a book, a great book that I can borrow,” Morazan said.

 

Morazan says he loves working with children in the classroom setting and he’s setting some personal goals to make a larger impact on students later in his career.

 

“Really though in 10 years from now, I would personally like to move up in education because I feel like the best way to make change is to move up in education,” Morazan said.

 

Originally from the Sacramento area, Morazan says he feels at home in the Marina community and thinks teachers play a vital role in seeing progress at all levels.

 

“I feel like we can really make a difference in our community, in our own communities but like you know countywide, statewide, we could really make a name for ourselves in this state in this country. We have a really great opportunity because there’s so many great educators, students here and the communities here, they are just really active,” Morazan said.