Mrs. Dumke

Dear Visitor,

Welcome to my professional teaching website! I live in Monterey Park, California, with my husband and two cats. Aside from teaching in East Los Angeles, I love cooking, gardening, staying active, being with our family and friends, and traveling.

My love of education and teaching began during my undergraduate years at UCSD (2004-2008). After graduating, I worked for a year as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism. Then I lived in Mexico, where I increased my Spanish fluency and decided that teaching English as a second/foreign language was for me!

I originally created this website during my MATESOL (2010-2012). I have since updated it during my teaching credential program and induction. Since my years in college, I have worked with students of all ages. In 2020 I received my Single-Subject English Credential at California State University, Los Angeles, and began working at Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 8 (ACRMA8).

I am now finishing my fourth year of teaching 8th Grade English Language Arts (ELA), Advisory, and “Mindfulness” Enrichment. You may see some of my memories with my school and scholars on these Google Slides!

I strive to work in and with communities to provide scholars and their families equitable opportunities and safe classroom spaces and experiences. One of my strengths as a teacher is the relationships I build; they are the crux of my teaching. I firmly believe that through empathetic education, students can transform their lives and the lives of those around them. For me, ELA provides many opportunities to help scholars better understand themselves and the world.

This year, a scholar shared with me that I showed him unconditional love and how much it meant to him. Another shared that she appreciates me because I create a safe space for her. Those words reflected back to me exactly why I teach. I often think about how short yet sacred one year with my students is, as I cannot reshape the past nor predict the future. All I have is one day at a time to show them that developing themselves through literacy matters, and so does how we treat one another. I show up as my best self every day because of how much I believe in them and the future they are creating each day by sharpening their minds and growing their hearts. I know how powerful it is to have someone who believes in you, and I want to be that person for my students.

If you would like to contact me, please email me at  hdumke @ laalliance . org

Or you can follow me on my teacher’s Instagram: ELADumke

And if you’d like to support my classroom needs, here is my Amazon wishlist! 

Thank you for visiting,
Heidi Dumke (formerly Laidemitt)