Top Los Angeles Teacher Encourages Kids To Make A Mess In Her Class The 74

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!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘626037510879173’); // 626037510879173 fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);{“@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”,”dateCreated”:”2025-12-30T22:49:45+04:00″,”datePublished”:”2025-12-30T22:49:45+04:00″,”dateModified”:”2025-12-30T22:49:45+04:00″,”headline”:”Top Los Angeles Teacher Encourages Kids To Make a Mess in Her Class The 74″,”name”:”Top Los Angeles Teacher Encourages Kids To Make a Mess in Her Class The 74″,”keywords”:[],”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/top-los-angeles-teacher-encourages-kids-to-make-a-mess-in-her-class-the-74/”,”description”:”Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter By the time the morning bell rings at Rosewood STEM Magnet, Urban Planning and Urban Design, Monika Heidi Duque ha”,”copyrightYear”:”2025″,”articleSection”:”Education”,”articleBody”:”nnn n Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newslettern n n n nBy the time the morning bell rings at Rosewood STEM Magnet, Urban Planning and Urban Design, Monika Heidi Duque has already been in her classroom for hours u2014 reviewing lesson plans, setting out materials, and greeting students by name. nnnnDuque, who has taught at the award-winning, urban planning-themed LAUSD elementary school in West Hollywood for 18 years, was one of four teachers named as finalists by the state education department for the 2026 California Teachers of the Year in October. She was the only LAUSD teacher to receive the honor.nnnnDuque works hard to create a free-flowing vibe in her first-grade classroom to promote the creativity of her students, describing the scene as the u201cbest kindu201d of messy. nnnnnnnnu201cItu2019s a place where my students are able to wonder, to be curious, to take risks, to be able to make things with their hands and minds,u201d said Duque, who has been a teacher in Los Angeles Unified since 2000. nnnnu201cItu2019s a place where you can tell learning is happening,u201d she said of her classroom. nnnnThe veteran teacheru2019s freewheeling approach is apparent in her classroom but thereu2019s a method to the mayhem. Everything her students do is somehow tied back to the schoolu2019s theme of urban planning and urban design, topics Duque admits could be heady for her 6-year-old students, were it not for her approach to the subjects, which links them to kidsu2019 everyday lives. nnnnOn a recent school day, students in Duqueu2019s class were drawing pictures of designs for a new community space in Griffith Park after she noticed a news report about the cityu2019s struggle to repurpose the area formerly used for pony rides. nnnnStudents drew pictures of their ideas for the space, coloring construction paper using markers and drawing their visions for forests and lazy rivers that could be installed in L.A.u2019s historic park. nnnnIn subsequent parts of the project, Duque said, students will create three-dimensional models of their ideas for the part using recycled materials such as cardboard and paper. nnnnu201cWeu2019re making an arcade thatu2019s called Fun Time, and then we put a petting zoo next to it called Pig Pig,u201d said Ben, a student in Duqueu2019s class, who was working on a drawing with a few classmates. u201cI wonder if it will really happen.u201dnnnnDuque often pulls ideas for lessons from real-life events in L.A., finding the sprawling and diverse city offers no shortage of inspiration for classroom activities tied to urban planning. nnnnu201cI just keep my eyes and ears to the news, and I just see whatu2019s happening in our community, and I just get ideas from there,u201d she said. nnnnA favorite lesson from a few years ago was based on an experience the teacher had while walking her dog in Griffith Park, when a coyote approached the two and nearly attacked Duqueu2019s pet. nnnnFeral coyotes are common in L.A. and such experiences arenu2019t unusual, but this event inspired Duque to create a lesson for students to create outfits for pets to repel predatory coyote attacks.nnnnStudents created costumes for pets that featured things known to deter coyotes, such as flashing lights. One student liked the project so much she created a picture book about the lesson with her parents, a copy of which Duque keeps displayed on the wall in her class. nnnnu201cItu2019s another example of how I really look at whatu2019s in our city, whatu2019s in the news, and whatu2019s relevant to kids and our lives,u201d the teacher said. nnnnDuqueu2019s relentless curiosity and enthusiasm make her a natural leader among her colleagues at Rosewood, said the schoolu2019s principal, Linda Crowder.nnnnu201cShe is a lifelong learner,u201d Crowder said. u201cShe gets something and she runs with it.u201dnn n n n Did you use this article in your work?
nWeu2019d love to hear how The 74u2019s reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers. Tell us hown n nnn !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;n t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,n document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);n fbq(‘init’, ‘626037510879173’); // 626037510879173n fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);n nnnnnDisclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification. nWe do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.nnnnnnAuthor: Ben ChapmannPublished on: 2025-12-30 21:30:00nSource: www.the74million.orgn”,”publisher”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”,”@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”uaetodaynews”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/images-e1759081190269.png”},”sameAs”:[“https://www.facebook.com/uaetodaynewscom”,”https://www.pinterest.com/uaetodaynews/”,”https://www.instagram.com/uaetoday_news_com/”]},”sourceOrganization”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”},”copyrightHolder”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”},”mainEntityOfPage”:{“@type”:”WebPage”,”@id”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/top-los-angeles-teacher-encourages-kids-to-make-a-mess-in-her-class-the-74/”,”breadcrumb”:{“@id”:”#Breadcrumb”}},”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”uaetodaynews”,”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/author/arabsongmedia-net/”},”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/los-angeles-teacher-825×495.png”,”width”:1200,”height”:495}}

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We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.

Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-12-30 18:49:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com

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