Elissa C. Cadillic
Learning Experience and Design Technology Specialist
Public Sector Union Leader
Email:
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Who am I?
Please explore my pages to learn more about me and how I interact with the world. My full bio can be found on my Linkedin page. I look forward to connecting with you about the services I can offer your organization.
PHILOSOPHY
My approach to teaching is to focus on learning, not education. I see education as a power and privilege based word that does not encompass the variety of ways an individual can learn and grow. As an educator, my mission is to provide the means and motivation for individuals to explore, learn, and grow.
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As a child, my views on education came from my parents where education was a path to socioeconomic stability, and thus desirable. And while this was not their intended effect, it did not install a love of learning but instead was seen by me as a chore to be completed. My teachers were rigid and adhered to the established curriculum and process. Examples weren’t relevant and coursework didn’t support critical thinking or project based learning. It wasn’t until middle school I was exposed to what learning could encompass and even then it was short-lived.
I enjoy the challenge of finding new ways to share knowledge and get students excited about the process as well as the results. I appreciate when individuals grasp a concept and demonstrate mastery and transformation.
As a result of growing up surrounded by people from a variety of nationalities and backgrounds, we were taught that people were people, regardless of their culture, race, sexual identity, or belief. That upbringing has continued to shape how I approach teaching, by respecting everyone’s differences while trying to find common ground.
As a new teacher, I was scared to challenge the status quo for fear of losing my job but if I hadn’t walked away from teaching high school, I never would have moved in adult education and found other passions: union leadership and advocacy. My current role allows me to speak up for those who need it. I now have the freedom to create learning opportunities and meet people where they are, instead of adhering to an outdated concept of the definition of an educated person.
Since my work primarily focuses on professional development, I want to ensure that individuals have the tools and know-how to learn and then put into practice the skills they need to be successful.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
– Maya Angelou
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