Teaching is an art. The work of a good artist, or teacher, can be best described as ingenious, inspiring, and oftentimes spontaneous—this is the true essence of education.
The oeuvre of Mrs. Erica Evans-DeSimone is characterized by her colorful passion for teaching, her brushstrokes of wisdom, and her unique approach to delivering her lessons, namely, in AP World History.
But now, as her 17 years at Miami Lakes Educational Center comes to an end, Mrs. Evans is set to create a new masterpiece as Assistant Principal for Miami Lakes Technical College.
“My background is high school, so I was applying for high school positions, but they just never came about—for whatever reason,” said Mrs. Evans.
“And this one popped up, and it’s something that is different; but, I think that’s what I really like most about it. It’s something new for me, something exciting and I have a lot to learn because it’s so different from K-12,” she continued.
The journey, of course, has been a long one.
Having entered MLEC in 2004, Mrs. Evans dedicated two years to creating something new, along with other teachers—Mrs. Borges, Mr. Boulay, Mr. Kynerd, Mr. Walpole and other colleagues— which she refers to as “My Band of Misfits,” or, “the glue.”
Mrs. Evans’s impact at MLEC has long been appreciated by her students, along with her staff and colleagues. It has even been recognized, as she was named Teacher of the Year back in 2015 and Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2005.
Her work, namely in the Cambridge Academy as an academy leader, not only fostered learning—but a familial bond between students, alumni, and teachers alike.
“Cambridge is what Cambridge is because Mrs. Evans spent so much of her own blood, sweat and tears on it,” said Mrs. Borges, English Department Chair.
“The Cambridge academy is a big family of teachers, students, and alumni. And there are now 11 years of alumni to keep up with. I don’t know too many other places where students still keep in touch. Our original group graduated in 2009, and we still know what’s going on with them,” she stated.
Mrs. Evans’s work in the Cambridge Academy isn’t the only thing that has garnered recognition. Having been the class sponsor for three graduating classes—2007, 2011, and 2017—Mrs. Evans also dedicated her time to ensure that her students had the best high school experience.
“Just having her as a class sponsor made us grow closer. I was comfortable to ask her for advice, whether it was for college or for life,” said Juanita Cardona, Class President of 2017.
“With class events, she always had these ideas that she knew that students would enjoy, and she helped us bring those ideas to life and made senior year for me even better,” she stated.
She went above and beyond the call of a teacher.
Room 5221, or her “queendom” as she sometimes called it, was where Mrs. Evans resided. Her classroom often reverberated with sounds of old-school R&B, Indie, rock, and other genres. It was a place where students could feel at ease.
“Her door was always open. You could go in and talk to her about life, about college, about anything, and she was always there. She took her teaching job as more than just teaching,” said Cardona.
And now, as Mrs. Evans takes on a new position she is set to carry the same amalgamation of passion, determination, and commitment with her. Her hope is to bridge the connection between high school and adult education—to fill the void that is already there.
Her work as Assistant Principal has already begun—daily meetings and hourly conference calls commenced on Wednesday, August 12th, 2020—her last day as a high school teacher.
“This is not the final chapter. Whenever one chapter ends that means something else is beginning. I’m super optimistic. I could go in whatever direction I want to once I learn this job and I’ve proved that I can do it, and do it successfully—possibly a principalship… I’m not there yet,” said Mrs. Evans.
“I want to get my feet wet and learn this job, but I’m open minded. I want to take what I can from this,” she said.
