About Mr. G

 

   Hello, and welcome! My name is Mr. Jarryd Gutierrez, though many of my students simply know me as Mr. G. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with our students and families and to share a little more about who I am, my educational journey, and the philosophy I bring into the classroom each day.

 

My Background

 

   I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and moved to West Monroe, Louisiana, in 2015 to continue my education at the University of Louisiana Monroe. What began as a move to pursue my passion for music ultimately became the beginning of a much larger journey in education. I earned my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisiana Monroe, where my studies allowed me to develop not only as a musician and performer, but also as a communicator, collaborator, and lifelong learner. Music has played an important role throughout my life, and the creativity, discipline, perseverance, and attention to detail that I developed through music continue to influence the way I approach teaching today.

 

   As my professional journey continued, I discovered an even greater passion for education and for helping young people recognize their own potential. I went on to earn my Master of Educational Studies in Elementary Education from Western Governors University. I am currently working toward full certification in Elementary Education (Grades 1–5) and Music (K–12) through iTeach Louisiana. My commitment to learning does not stop there. I am also continuing my own education as a doctoral candidate at South College, where I am pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Teaching & Learning, with an anticipated graduation in 2028. Continuing my education allows me to strengthen my knowledge of teaching, learning, curriculum, and effective instructional practices while bringing new ideas and perspectives into my own classroom.

 

What I Teach

 

   During the school year, I have the privilege of working with students across multiple grade levels and subject areas. I teach 5th and 6th Grade Mathematics as well as Music. Although mathematics and music may appear to be very different subjects, I believe they share many important qualities. Both encourage students to recognize patterns, think critically, solve problems, practice consistently, take creative risks, and persevere when something does not come easily the first time.

Whether we are working through a challenging mathematics problem or developing our musical abilities, I want students to understand that learning is a process. Mistakes are not something to fear—they are opportunities to think, adjust, ask questions, and grow.

 

My Teaching Philosophy

 

   At the heart of my teaching philosophy is a simple belief: every student is capable of learning, growing, and achieving success. Students enter the classroom with different experiences, strengths, interests, personalities, and needs. Because of that, I believe effective teaching requires more than simply presenting information. It requires building relationships, setting high but attainable expectations, providing meaningful support, and creating an environment in which students feel comfortable asking questions and challenging themselves.

 

   My goal is to create a classroom that is structured, engaging, supportive, respectful, and student-centered. I want students to know that their ideas matter, their questions are welcome, and their effort has value. I also believe strongly in the importance of high expectations paired with encouragement and support. I expect my students to come prepared to learn, participate, treat others with respect, take responsibility for their choices, and give their best effort. At the same time, I recognize that students are still learning how to become responsible, independent learners. Part of my role as their teacher is to help them develop those skills along the way. Success does not always look the same for every child. Sometimes success is mastering a difficult concept. Sometimes it is having the confidence to raise a hand and ask a question. Sometimes it is improving from one assessment to the next, developing better study habits, learning from a mistake, or refusing to give up when something becomes challenging. Growth matters, and progress deserves to be recognized.

 

Building Confident Learners

 

   One of my greatest goals as an educator is to help students develop confidence in themselves as learners. Students will inevitably encounter concepts that are difficult. When that happens, I do not want their first thought to be, “I can't do this.” Instead, I want them to begin thinking, “I don't understand this yet, so what can I try next?” That small change in perspective can make an enormous difference.

In our classroom, students are encouraged to ask questions, explain their thinking, try different strategies, collaborate appropriately, learn from feedback, and continue working even when the answer is not immediately obvious. My goal is not simply to help students find the correct answer; I want them to understand why an answer makes sense and develop the skills necessary to approach future challenges independently. Ultimately, I hope students leave my classroom with more than additional academic knowledge. I want them to leave believing that they are capable of tackling difficult things.

 

The Importance of Family Partnership

 

   I firmly believe that education is most successful when students, teachers, and families work together. Parents and guardians know their children in ways that no teacher ever could, which makes communication and collaboration incredibly important. I want families to feel informed about what is happening in our classroom and comfortable reaching out whenever they have questions, concerns, or information that may help me better support their child. This website is one of the ways I hope to strengthen that connection. Throughout the school year, I will use it to share classroom resources, learning guides, reminders, information about what we are studying, classroom expectations, schedules, and other materials that may help students and families stay informed and prepared. I encourage families to explore the resources available throughout the website and to check back regularly as new information is added. Most importantly, communication is always welcome. If you have a question, concern, suggestion, or simply want to know how you can better support your child academically, please feel free to reach out.

 

A Lifelong Learner

 

   One of the messages I want my students to understand is that learning does not end when you leave school. I believe educators should model the same curiosity, perseverance, and commitment to improvement that we ask of our students. My own educational journey—from studying vocal performance, to earning a graduate degree in elementary education, to pursuing doctoral studies in teaching and learning—reflects my belief that there is always more to learn. I continually strive to improve my teaching by reflecting on what works, exploring new instructional strategies, listening to feedback, and finding better ways to meet the needs of my students.

I do not expect my students to be perfect, and I do not expect perfection from myself. What I do expect is a willingness to learn, reflect, improve, and keep moving forward.

 

Beyond the Classroom

 

   While education is an important part of who I am, music remains one of my greatest passions. My background as a vocalist and musician has shaped much of the person and educator I am today. Music taught me the value of preparation, practice, collaboration, creativity, discipline, and perseverance. It also taught me something I try to remind students of frequently: improvement rarely happens all at once. Whether learning a piece of music, mastering a new mathematical concept, or developing any other skill, meaningful growth usually comes from consistent effort over time. Those lessons influence the culture I hope to build in my classroom—a place where students are encouraged to be curious, creative, hardworking, and willing to try again.

 

My Commitment to Students & Families

 

   As your child's teacher, I take seriously the responsibility of helping them grow academically while also encouraging the confidence, responsibility, curiosity, and perseverance that will serve them far beyond my classroom. My commitment is to provide students with a learning environment where they are challenged to grow, supported when they struggle, celebrated when they succeed, and encouraged to become increasingly independent learners. I also recognize that great classrooms are never truly “finished.” There is always something that can be improved. I welcome constructive feedback from students and families, and if there is a resource, explanation, guide, or addition to this website that would make it easier for you to support learning at home, I encourage you to let me know.

 

   Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me. It is a privilege to be part of your child's educational journey, and I look forward to a school year filled with learning, creativity, growth, and success.

 

Welcome to Mr. G's Classroom—I'm glad you're here!

— Mr. G