We are excited to welcome Miss Alyssa Palma to our TCS faculty!
Having dreamed of being a teacher since she was a young girl, Miss Palma received her B.A. in Family and Child Studies with a K through 5 certification and concentration in Families, Children, and School Settings, from Montclair State University and is thrilled to be teaching our second graders this year!
Learn more about Miss Palma, who inspired her and what she hopes for her students.
Who inspired you to take up teaching?
I didn’t always like school, but then, I had a teacher who made us learn songs and had competitions in the class and that made it fun for me. This made me want to be a teacher and do the same for my students one day! I played school with my sister and just loved having my own class. I set up a classroom in my garage with a chalkboard, class roster and gave my sister spelling tests. When I went to college, I knew I wanted to major in education and that’s what I did. The journey so far has been amazing!
Why did you choose to teach at TCS?
While working in the public school setting for six years, I saw kids everyday living without hope and not knowing about Jesus. Not being able to share my faith and hope with them was difficult and burdensome. I very much wanted to work in a Christian school; it was my dream. I love talking about God and sharing the gospel with people. In my heart, I just knew that God was saying, “you need to be at a Christian school.” I prayed about it and God opened this opportunity for me to teach at TCS. I believe this is exactly where I am meant to be, and I am so happy to be here!
How are faith and learning integrated at TCS?
We open every day with prayer and a morning devotion. I also pray with my students throughout the day whenever there is an opportunity. I love encouraging my students with God’s Word.
In what ways do you want to prepare students for a life beyond TCS?
I pray daily that my students will see how much I love Jesus, how much I want to live for Him, and that it is a joy to serve Him. I pray that God gives them the heart to serve Him wherever they go and that they will give their best to whatever job that they end up having. But the most important thing that I pray for is that, wherever they are, they reach out to the lost world for Jesus and share the gospel.
What would you tell others about TCS?
I tell everyone about TCS. I tell them that this is the only Christian school that I would send my kids to! I really do encourage people to bring their kids here, because not only will they receive a solid Christ-centered education, but they will also be in a loving environment where the teachers are joyful, loving and caring.