Meet Omar Elizondo, a UTRGV Unsung Hero
Text by Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
Omar R. Elizondo, associate professor of Practice and Science Master Teacher in the UTeach Program, UTRGV College of Sciences on the Edinburg Campus, is responsible for preparing future STEM educators within the content and pedagogy of teaching.
He focuses on training future educators through inquiry-based lessons and does outreach in public schools and to UTRGV students within the UTeach program.
While no day is the same for Elizondo, he enjoys meeting new students and considers himself a teacher first, but also a student as he continues to learn from the people he meets within his field.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
As a Master Teacher for the UTeach Program, I help prepare future STEM educators in the content and pedagogy of teaching. I focus on training future educators in preparing 5E and inquiry-based lessons. I spend much of my time at public schools, teaching UTeach courses and helping students throughout the entire UTeach program.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
Since 2015, so seven years.
WITH THE SOCIAL CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19, DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY IN THESE TIMES?
No day is the same for me, but COVID-19 has not changed many aspects of my day. I go to the public schools, and I continue to wear a mask to protect myself and the students in the classroom. When teaching on campus, I continue to wear a mask for the same reasons.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAINTAINING YOUR ROLE DURING COVID-19?
I am a teacher first, but I’m also a student. I can conduct both duties easily online and in person. However, my most significant role, which is true for all educators, is to ensure the students understand the content. When COVID-19 pushed us to teach online, many students appreciated it because it allowed more freedom to complete work. However, the biggest challenge is ensuring that our UTRGV students learn and really understand their coursework, rather than simply checking off tasks. We want our students to be brilliant and not appear brilliant.
He focuses on training future educators through inquiry-based lessons and does outreach in public schools and to UTRGV students within the UTeach program.
While no day is the same for Elizondo, he enjoys meeting new students and considers himself a teacher first, but also a student as he continues to learn from the people he meets within his field.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
As a Master Teacher for the UTeach Program, I help prepare future STEM educators in the content and pedagogy of teaching. I focus on training future educators in preparing 5E and inquiry-based lessons. I spend much of my time at public schools, teaching UTeach courses and helping students throughout the entire UTeach program.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
Since 2015, so seven years.
WITH THE SOCIAL CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19, DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY IN THESE TIMES?
No day is the same for me, but COVID-19 has not changed many aspects of my day. I go to the public schools, and I continue to wear a mask to protect myself and the students in the classroom. When teaching on campus, I continue to wear a mask for the same reasons.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAINTAINING YOUR ROLE DURING COVID-19?
I am a teacher first, but I’m also a student. I can conduct both duties easily online and in person. However, my most significant role, which is true for all educators, is to ensure the students understand the content. When COVID-19 pushed us to teach online, many students appreciated it because it allowed more freedom to complete work. However, the biggest challenge is ensuring that our UTRGV students learn and really understand their coursework, rather than simply checking off tasks. We want our students to be brilliant and not appear brilliant.
IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU HELPING YOUR DEPARTMENT MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS?
The department has worked hard to ensure that faculty do not expose students to the virus. First, we continue to wear masks during our classes. During the peak of the pandemic, the UTeach program, like all programs, moved online and continued to develop inquiry-based lessons for online education. The UTeach program tends to share the same classroom, and we often spray Lysol between classes. We provide students with masks for class, too. Last, we continue to promote vaccination for our students, faculty and staff to help reduce infection rates.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY, OR STORY, ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
I have so many memories of this university when it was UTPA and now UTRGV. So many incredible mentors have guided me. My life changed when I began to work with Dr. Kristine Lowe. She was my first mentor who took the time and patience to train me to be the best possible scientist I could be. She taught me to work hard, but more importantly, to make small gains daily to make overall improvements in my learning. Because of her, I focused on science, earned a Master's in Biology, and she even helped me to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. Even after graduation, I continued to work with her on several projects. What started as a traditional mentor and mentee relationship turned into a great friendship. I would not have my current success without her impact on my life's trajectory. Now, I can emulate her, and I hope to have the same effect on my students' lives.
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I wanted to work in films when I first started at UTPA. Most people don’t know I have a love for movies. I have a decent knowledge of movie directors, film composers and cinematographers. I also can act (though not very well). I hope to audition for some UTRGV plays in the future. I was also a DJ in high school, and I still listen to a variety of music.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
My relationship with the UTRGV community involves helping STEM educators be the best they can to develop engaging and inquiry-based lessons in their own classrooms. Recently, I have been lucky enough to be able to help train the faculty at UTRGV in two ways: the PRIMERS program has allowed me to provide insight into the world of education for faculty so they can also develop student-centered teaching for the university. The second way is that I have also been given the opportunity to develop community outreach and technology training for students as the Faculty Fellow in Educational Technology. Essentially, I am lucky enough to help my own UTeach students and UTRGV students and faculty.
WHAT ARE SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS YOU COULD SHARE WITH YOUR PEERS ABOUT COVID-19?
For some people, COVID-19 has left horrible scars. For others, it was an excellent opportunity for personal and educational growth. The lesson to be learned from a pandemic is who we are after the event. For the first time in a long time, the entire world was experiencing the same event. Regardless of how you experienced COVID-19, my words are to reflect on the event to make us better, more compassionate, more thoughtful, and appreciative of how lucky we indeed are.
