Hello and welcome to my Credential Clear Portfolio.  My name is Arielle Haze, and I am the math specialist at New Village Charter high school.

I am 34 years old, and I have had more careers than most people my age: executive assistant, wedding photographer, webmaster, city clerk, and project manager.  I was never satisfied, so I kept changing and searching for my true calling; and, two years ago, I found it: teaching!

I have never been happier!  I love teaching and working with high school students.  My life turned out better than I ever could have planned.  I spend every day inspiring, engaging, and celebrating life with aspiring young women.  They challenge me and amaze me.  I never knew a career could be so fulfilling.  I truly feel blessed and honored to be teaching at my high school.

My school is a Big Picture Learning school in Echo Park, Los Angeles.  It is a Title-1, all-girls' charter high school.  We focus on learning through interests and internships, and I support my students in learning math, photography, yearbook layout, and life skills.  I am not only a teacher, I am a mentor, confidant, and support system for my students.  Many of our students are pregnant or parenting, and we also have about 1/3 of our population in foster care.  Our students yearn to feel supported and cared for, and at New Village, they are!

I consider myself one of the lucky ones - someone with a wonderful job and a fantastic team of co-workers!  All of our staff are friends and we spend a lot of time together on and off campus.  I am so grateful that I get to spend my days with such incredible people.

Teaching has changed my life.  I work harder than I ever have, and I feel so much more driven to succeed than I ever have before.  I work very long days, often 10 hours or more, and I have no regrets.  When you are doing what you love, time flies.  I now fully understand that!

I am here today to present my UCLA Extension Clear Credential Portfolio to you for your review.  I am excited to share this with you, and I am very proud of my successes thus far.  As a teacher, I know I will continue to learn and grow every year.  I look forward to a very long and happy career, one in which I plan to continue for the rest of my life.