Academics

Educator Profiles

Paula Salazar

Middle School Principal
MS Academics
Santa Fe, NM

I was born and raised in Santa Fe but was lucky enough to spend most of my childhood growing up on the same ranch my mother did. I know the experiences I had there really molded me into the person I am today. I didn’t just learn the process of how to bale hay, but how to work hard—getting to the barn at 5:00am wasn’t just about collecting the eggs and milking the cow, but getting the groceries for our breakfast! In addition to this education, I also have a Master’s in Educational Leadership. Before I came to SFIS, I taught at Chaparral Elementary and Larragoite Elementary. I attended Larragoite, so it was neat to work at a familiar place. It was also very rewarding because my kindergarten teacher became my colleague and the first classroom I taught in was my first grade classroom when I was a student. Before I became a teacher I worked for my parents, who have owned Chavez Fine Jewelers for over 40 years.
I have been a teacher for fourteen years and have worked at SFIS for seven years. I taught 8th grade Language Arts during my time here, and this year I stepped out of the classroom and took the position of Data Manager. Although I miss connecting with students on a daily basis, I am very excited to be in a position that gathers information that helps support the Middle School teachers and students.
A core value that is most important to me is perseverance. I believe that possessing the trait of perseverance allows someone to become successful. Throughout the course of one’s life, students will endure setbacks or face obstacles, but with the presence of perseverance they are able to make their goals a reality. In my work, I do my best to instill the impact that perseverance can have on my students. For example, whenever a student feels as though they will never get a concept I encourage them to make a first attempt, and if they don’t like the outcome I persuade them to take another attempt; I never let them settle for mediocre work.
My children are my first passion, and I would have to say wanting to be better is my second passion. I want to be a better teacher, a better mom, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend, a better person. I wake up every morning, start my day with a conversation with God and walk out my front door with the motto, “Behold this day it is yours to make!” For SFIS students, I hope for them to never make excuses. I have always had to work harder than most, so getting my Master’s in Educational Leadership was a big accomplishment for me. Writing my thesis was a huge challenge. In junior high and high school I struggled academically, but I never used bad decisions as excuses and now I have three degrees. When students say, “It’s too difficult!” I tell them, “This is not difficult, only challenging,” and I hold them to the highest standard.