Faculty Spotlight - Paula Krock
What do you teach at EvCC?
I teach Education and Early Childhood Education.
Tell us a little about your professional background.
I spent a year working at an orphanage in Mexico in college, which launched me into a fascination of child development and how children learn. This led me to years of teaching in preschools, hours of working in elementary schools, and a master's degree in Education.
Why did you choose EvCC?
I was smitten the moment I walked onto campus! The brick buildings and lovely landscaping and it smelled of coffee and new books. Meeting faculty only furthered my commitment to EvCC, as I found others to be equity-minded and focused on quality teaching and relationships with students. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!
How has the pandemic affected you? How are you doing? 
I miss my EvCC people! I adore teaching because I get to know students - see their faces, hear how their lives are going, and enjoy their presence in class and in advising. I also miss my colleagues. Seeing one another in the halls and in meetings. Zoom is great, but not the same. I miss these interactions immensely. We did have a bring your pet to school day in my Introduction to Education class the other day via Zoom. That was an unexpected benefit to distance learning! (Paula's dog, Stitch, is pictured with his bowl).
How have you adapted your curriculum and teaching methods to support students who are learning from home?
The biggest adaptation I have tried to keep in front of me is keeping in mind student stresses, depression, and anxiety. My number one concern is, do students feel supported, valued and know they are seen? I am working hard to communicate to students that I care and am there to help them, via Zoom, phone, or email. I am doing Zoom check-in meetings, emailing students who I haven’t seen engage in a while and am working to provide greater clarification in all assignments. We all need a ton of grace this season! It’s stressful!
What advice do you have for students who are taking online or livestream classes for the first time?
Advocate for yourself! If you don’t understand something - ask! Bother the instructor; it’s their job, so make sure you are asking and communicating if you don’t understand something!
What do you like to do for fun? 
I am Mom to a huge family who are great fun - we are a blended family with five kids. I love to hike and kayak and have a huge backyard garden which I think is fun. When the weather is nice, my husband Jim and I are outdoors as much as possible.
What is your favorite snack?
If we’re talking junk food, it’s 7-11 nachos or Blueberry Poptarts, but during this pandemic, it’s gotta be a hot-from-the-oven slice of sourdough bread, slathered with butter! (Baking is good therapy too!)
Anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! I am a Latina who was raised very poor by a hard working single mom. Money, food, dreams and aspirations were limited for me in my community and expectations for my life were low. Thankfully, I had a loving mother and many teachers who planted seeds of value and the dream of going to college in my life, which opened my eyes to the power of an education. THIS was a life changer for me. Now, when I advise or teach, I communicate this with students, because I understand how an education can pull you out of poverty and open new doors for you and your children, for generations to come. This is why I love working at EvCC; I know when education changes your life, you go into your community and change others' lives. It has a positive ripple effect!