Born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, math teacher Liliana Quinones at Barbara Goleman Senior High School first realized her love for teaching while tutoring in college as a side job while she pursued an engineering degree.
“Soon, I realized that others enjoyed having me tutor because they finally understood the subject. I also loved being able to teach and help others,” said Quinones.
After receiving her bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education from Florida Atlantic University and a master's in Mathematics from Nova Southeastern University, Quinones began teaching at Miami Northwestern Senior High School for six years. She transferred to Miami Norland Senior High where she stayed for another six years before arriving at Goleman in 2006 where she has been ever since.
Outside of the classroom, Quinones offers tutoring in the mornings and afternoons and for her AP students, Quinones offers tutoring on Fridays and Saturdays at Panera Bread, a local restaurant. When not teaching or tutoring, Quinones enjoys traveling, cycling, swimming and spending time with her children Douglas, 23, and Samantha, 15.
Quinones’ favorite reminder is a simple but powerful one: “Yes, you can.” Quinones uses that phrase and “failure is not an option” to empower her students and motivate them to achieve higher levels of learning than those they have become accustomed to.
Though this is Quinones' first nomination for Teacher of the Year, it is one well supported by students. Her favorite memories from her career thus far are moments of student appreciation, such as when each student in her A.P. Statistics class at Miami Norland Senior High School wrote her a letter noting that knowledge is obtainable by anyone who strives for it, or when her Goleman students in A.P. Calculus presented Quinones with a plaque for “Best Calculus Teacher.”
“The most rewarding aspect of teaching are the students,” said Quinones. “They are the source of my motivation, to keep trying my best. Their gratitude of my efforts is by far the most rewarding part of being a teacher.”