ELA Teacher and Cultural Exchange Educator

Hello!

My name is Irish Goopio, and I am an English Language Arts teacher at Winslow Junior High School. I teach 7th and 8th Grade ELA, including 8th Grade Accelerated ELA

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I am originally from the Philippines, where I began my journey as an educator. I hold a Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English, and a Master of Arts in Education, Major in English. I have been teaching for more than eight years, and one of the things I value most about being a teacher is having the opportunity to help students discover what they are capable of.

In my classroom, I believe in maintaining high academic expectations while building strong relationships with my students. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel supported enough to ask questions, make mistakes, and grow, while also being challenged to think deeply and take responsibility for their learning. I especially enjoy helping students develop confidence as readers, writers, and critical thinkers.

An important value I bring from my Filipino culture is bayanihan, which represents community, cooperation, and helping one another. I believe that learning is stronger when we create a classroom community where everyone is encouraged to contribute, support one another, and work toward success together.

A Little More About Me

Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading, hiking, exploring new places, and photography. I love spending time outdoors and discovering beautiful places around Arizona, especially when there is a good trail involved. I also enjoy books, meaningful conversations, and learning about ideas that challenge me to see the world from different perspectives.

My faith, family, culture, and experiences both in the Philippines and the United States are important parts of who I am. They continually remind me to approach teaching with purpose, gratitude, compassion, and an openness to learning from the people around me.

I look forward to another year of learning alongside my students and helping them grow, achieve, and succeed—both inside and outside the classroom.