From tutoring students back in high school to currently teaching math classes, Algebra 1 and AP Calculus BC, teacher Mr. Gabriel Perez found his way back to Charter through his love of education. Having always had a desire for learning, Mr. Perez constantly took AP classes and strived to be the smartest kid in the class. Unbeknownst to him, this passion would cause him to look back at his old high school and make a significant difference for his future students.

Mr. Perez graduated from PPCHS in 2014. With his love for math and science, he knew that the field he wanted to enter in the future would have some relation to those subjects. Previously, as a high school student, Mr. Perez would tutor with the National Honor Society (NHS) and the Math club to help his classmates. After graduating, he continued that hobby, and when he went to FIU, he worked as a teacher assistant. “I liked teaching and figuring out how people learn things and visualize certain concepts,” he communicates. Following that eagerness, Mr. Perez switched from getting a master’s degree in data science to acquiring a teaching license. “In my last few classes, I started taking teaching classes with the intent on getting a teaching job,” he recalls.

After receiving his teaching license, Mr. Perez applied to as many schools as possible, but one school in particular stood out to him. 

“I knew that Mr. Jablonka taught here [PPCHS], so I thought it would be cool [to work at Charter]. I live nearby the school; I like the school, it is a good environment, and I was familiar with the system so just to see if something came out of it, I emailed Mr. Bayer,” he states.

This was the start to his teaching career at Charter as Mr. Bayer gave him a substitute job during the hybrid COVID year. By the end of that year, Mr. Perez had a spot in the math department, teaching Pre-Calculus, Geometry, Statistics, and, most recently, Algebra 1 and AP Calculus BC. 

Well into his teaching career, Mr. Perez uses his understanding of how busy school can be to not burden his students with overwhelming amounts of work. “My AP calculus students are all very high achieving and have a lot of extracurriculars. I was like that in high school as well, so I am very sympathetic to that,” he explains.

Because of this, Mr. Perez has strived to make that perfect balance of teaching his classes in a way that they learn but can still manage with their busy schedules. “Because I had this perspective from when I was a student, I tried to find that balance in this class.”

Reflecting on the lessons he learned in life, Mr. Perez’s advice to students is, “Have more fun, but not at the expense of education. High school is short, and hopefully, they are nice years when you look back. I miss seeing my friends every day, and whether you have one friend or many friends; it’s your social circle. Make the most of it.”