a woman with a long black braid stands dressed in a black and red floral dress in front of a window

Amanda Aguayo

Visual Arts Teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School

Amanda Aguayo is the Visual Arts teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Efland, NC, teaching grades 6-8. She has 15 years of teaching experience, prides herself in building relationships with students, co-workers and creating a safe, wholesome learning environment. She is the mother of three children, who keep her active in spectating a variety of sports throughout the year. When she's not elbow deep in painting and crafting at home, she enjoys cooking and trying out new restaurants. She is a fierce advocate for mental healthcare and equitable practices in the classroom which led her to dive into choice based pedagogy that she offers her students through implementing Teaching for Artistic Behaviors, which amplifies student choice and voice. Amanda is a 2024 LatinxEd Fellow and the 2024 North Carolina Art Education Association Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. She is eager and excited to be a part of the inaugural Learning Happens Here Teacher Ambassadorship.

Read Amanda's blog post "Field Trip Tales: Connections at Jennette's Pier"