Employment History:

Published Works:

Public Speaking Experience:

Why F is an Expert:
My expertise is in educating and enriching kids.

Best Advice:
Ask yourself: do you love kids? You have to love kids because there are so many different types out there. You’re not going to have all star students. You might have 10% of your kids as sweethearts, but 90% of them will be what I call ‘little squirrels.’ They’re not bad kids, but they’ve got these little things they do that you’ve got to be ready for. If you don’t care about kids, you’re going to be screaming at them and they won’t be able to handle it. You don’t know what they’ve been through in their lives. Have an understanding and great knowledge of what you are teaching. Be willing to put in 100% and have fun. Another thing is you’ve got to be genuine.

Passionate about:
All kids need a chance and they can do anything they want to do. It doesn’t matter where they’re from. No child is dumb. I can’t stand it when a child tells me someone has called them dumb.

Biography Excerpt:
Donna Povia Willis, MS is a teacher at Pedro Menendez High School, considered one of the top-rated enrichment facilities in the St. Johns County School District. To date she has taught middle school for 16 years, but, in total, she has accrued more than 35 years of experience in the field of education. A gifted mentor and instructor, Mrs. Willis applies hard work and a universal love for each of her students to yield every one of them opportunities to set high goals and achieve their dreams.

     

Cambridge Who's Who: What is your teaching approach?  
DONNA POVIA WILLIS MS:  I teach the subject matter kids should know but, more importantly, I teach what the kids need to know in terms of real-life experiences.

So it’s not always ‘by the book.’
The book we use is meant to be a resource, but we are expected to tailor our curriculum as we see fit.

What advice can you offer fellow members who work in your industry?
Be yourself. Make sure that whatever you do is fun, educational and life-meaning.