Mrs. DiSarcina—AKA Ms. D—is a 5th grade math teacher at the Eliot K-8 School in the North End of Boston. “Ms. D is the definition of a team player,” says Morgan Atkins, Coordinator of Culture and Climate at the Eliot. “She models the Playworks mission and vision of celebrating students through leadership, self-expression, and teamwork.”
Ms.D is the Playworks MVP of the Month because of her commitment to transforming her students’ learning environment through play, teamwork, and laughter.
According to a fellow 5th grade teacher at the Eliot, “If you ask any student, they will say they love learning math from Ms. D because she makes it relevant and fun. She incorporates review games into her classes for students to practice their skills in an engaging way.”
One of Ms. D’s students, Rahul, appreciates Ms. D for always treating him with respect. “She laughs with us when we do fun math games in class,” he says, “so I know that she really cares about us.”
Not only does Ms. D support a playful environment during math class, you’ll often find her playing alongside Coach Jaime, the Playworks Coach at the Eliot. Coach Jaime tells us that Ms. D “loves Playworks Class Game Time and always jumps into games, even ones she’s never played before.”
Playworks cannot truly leverage the power of play without teachers like Ms. D who know that play doesn’t only belong on the playground. Ms. D doesn’t just teach her students math skills. She teaches them to work together, make positive choices, and to grow individually and as a team. We know she will continue to support her students and the school community to grow, learn, and laugh for the rest of the school year.
Keep up the great work, Ms. D!
