Shakira R. Perez

Mother. Teacher. Poet.

My family calls me "arroz blanco", which means white rice... because it goes with everything and I like to do EVERYTHING. I prefer to call myself a jack of all trades, master of some.

 

I am a true believer in being a lifelong learner. In 2007, I became a fellow of the Central Connecticut Writing Project, where I remain heavily involved with the reading department at Central Connecticut State University. Through the CT Writing Project, I’ve had the opportunity to present at CCSU’s Literacy Essentials Conference, Idea Share and the Latinos in Action Youth Conference. In July 2017, along with the director of the CT Writing Project, I led a workshop on promoting reading and writing in and beyond the classroom at the 20th European Literacy Conference in Madrid, Spain. In 2019, I was a recipient of the Funds for Teachers grant and travelled to Oxford, England and Copenhagen, Denmark to attend and present workshops on creating possibilities for writing at the International Roundtable Symposium and the 21st European Literacy Conference, respectively. This past summer, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland to present a workshop on “Growing Student Writers in a Creative and Collaborative Digital Community/Environment” at the 22nd European Literacy Conference.

 

I am currently teaching the Capstone class at Classical Magnet School. I take great pride in being a teacher at Classical having graduated from the program in 1995. I feel like I’ve come full circle and am now able to give back what I have received. In fact, they love me so much, I was selected as Hartford Public Schools’ 2020 Teacher of the Year!!! I love attending the school’s sports games and can be seen driving teams to their games and rooting from the stands. In the spring, you can catch me coaching the girls’ varsity tennis team.

 

In addition to teaching high school, I am also an adjunct professor at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT… also my alma mater.

 

When I am not teaching, I enjoy traveling, reading and DIY projects, I’m obsessed with crime drama & elephants, and coffee is bae. I am a proud Executive Board Member of the Connecticut Institute for Community Development (CICD). I recently self-published a choreopoem called Brave Bird and my favorite humans are named Josiah and Scarlett.

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