El Paso was a long drive for Durwood Mayfield’s first teacher training experience. When the drive was over, the rewards were great for Durwood, BikeTexas SuperCyclist Curriculum Instructor, and Brenda Chuleewah, BikeTexas Teacher Training Manager.
Spectacular scenery, warm weather, and most importantly, the “Best Teachers in the West” were at the end of that long, lonesome highway, ready to be certified on February 29, 2008 in the Texas SuperCyclist Curriculum.
The training was held at the Texas Education Agency’s Region 19 Education Service Center (ESC) in El Paso. In attendance from the El Paso ISD were Fernando Fierro of Collins Elementary, Lily Najera of Milam Elementary, William Barron of Cordova Middle School, Monie Menacker of Jose Damian Elementary, Adrian Flores of Aoy Elementary, Rafael Uyarra of Stanton Elementary, Linda Crooks of Barron Elementary and Ginger Escareno of Mitzi Bond Elementary.
From Ysleta ISD, Angie Armendariz of Thomas Manor Elementary, Maria Rodriguez of Le Barron Elementary and Ricardo Dominguez, Jr. of Ysleta Elementary also attended, as did Tom Christopher from the youth program at Emmanuel United Methodist Church.
Roina Baquera Shaw, ESC Region 19 School Health Coordinator, was our hostess. She saw to it that we had everything we needed and was extremely helpful. The facility was beautiful, very modern and comfortable.
When we went outside to practice setting up a Skills Course and a Decision Course, the wind was very strong. It was a challenge to set up a course that would not blow away. These teachers are used to high winds and commented that it was lucky it wasn’t dusty today. The wind didn’t dampen their enthusiasm in the least.
The Decisions Course went especially well. This course teaches children how to ride in traffic and deals with entering a busy street from a driveway and yielding to traffic. The teachers set up the course. Afterwards all of them got on the course with bikes or “virtual handlebars.”
El Paso teachers are the BEST! They are enthusiastic and dedicated to teaching bicycle safety to their students.
