Meghan Brown
7th grade - Science
Kermit Cook
11th and 12th grade - Physics
Mariel Elguero
8th grade - English
Katy Frey
K-4 - Special Education Resource
Maribel Gonzalez
5th and 6th grade - Bilingual
Adam Greenman
7th and 8th grade - Social Studies
Liam Honigsberg
High School - Math
Anthony Jewett
3rd grade - Bilingual
Shyla Kinhal
2nd grade - Bilingual
Janis Ortega
4th grade - Bilingual
Sarada Peri
9th and 10th grade - English and Reading
Jessika Rao
10th, 11th, and 12th grade - English and Drama
Ranjana Reddy
7th grade - Physical Science
Janis Ortega graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004, where she majored in Public Relations and Spanish. Janis is a 2004 New York City corps member and she taught 3rd grade bilingual at PS 28 in the Bronx.
It's officially been a month since I started teaching, and my students amaze me daily.
I've fallen in love with 20 curious young minds that have only recently arrived in this country. I have before me a microcosm of the cultural diversity alive in the Bronx, a classroom of recent arrivals from six different Spanish-speaking countries. I want them to recognize the beauty in their differences while bringing them together around a common goal: to succeed academically so that they can realize every dream they set out to achieve and become the American citizens their parents brought them here to be.
It's only been a month, but I marvel at how eager they are to learn. I just finished assessing their English reading levels and the student's range from one to three years below grade level. Yet, despite these odds, all of them come to school excited to tackle new reading strategies.
All of them, except for one.
I noticed Christian Aguilar on the first day of school. He looked unhappy from the moment I saw him when I went out to the main yard to greet my students. While most of my students stood side by side with their parents, Christian was alone. As I conversed with the parents around me, I watched Christian from the corner of my eye and wondered where his parents might be.
I learned that Christian only recently met his mother after being raised by his grandmother for the past eight years. I thought about the challenges my students face and the sacrifices their families have made in order to provide them an education in the United States. I felt a sense of humility. How could I not provide my students with the quality education to justify their families' sacrifices? I became empowered by the notion that, as their classroom teacher, I have the opportunity to make those sacrifices worthwhile.
But I have a long road in front of me, especially when it comes to Christian. His academic performance is well below where it should be. He is reading two years behind grade level, and he has officially declared reading his enemy on numerous occasions. His academic frustrations have now translated into behavioral issues. While all of my students have a lot of work to do to get where they need to be, most are attentive and try their hardest. Christian, on the other hand, tunes out and sits at his desk doodling, and disrupting his neighbors. I've come to a point in my planning where my lessons revolve around keeping Christian engaged. I know that if Christian is on task, the rest of my class can stay on task, too.
I've been thinking a lot about how I can best support Christian. I've tried to develop a relationship with his mother, but her schedule makes it difficult, as she works at a factory in the evenings and has to catch up on sleep during the day.
I realize that the only way I'm going to get Christian on track is if he's willing to try. But how can I get him to see that applying himself in school has benefits beyond stickers and certificates?
I realized that there are two things I need to do for Christian in order to help him move forward: one, develop a sense of confidence in his work, and two, dramatically increase his reading skills.
Before we begin our reader's workshop, I encourage my students to repeat with me, "Reading is power. Reading is freedom." This is the first year my students are reading in English, so the challenges are significant. While I encourage my students to strengthen their Spanish literacy at home, we are working hard to increase English reading levels in the classroom by reading together in small groups and creating plays from children's literature.
Still, Christian struggles to stay focused. I feel like I have tried everything to hook him into reading, but he sees right through my attempts in the classroom...and then I had an idea.
I walked over to him this week and asked if he would be interested in going to the library. He looked up in disbelief. "When?" he responded. "How about Saturday?" I answered. It was a deal.
I picked up Christian Saturday afternoon. I called a few minutes before I arrived, and in less than a minute, I saw Christian flying up the street flailing his arms in the air screaming, "Ms. Ortega, I'm ready to go to the library!" We walked over together and I spent my Saturday afternoon introducing Christian Aguilar to the beauty of books. In the classroom I couldn't convince Christian that a book was valuable, but as we walked up and down the aisles of the children's section, past bookcase after bookcase filled with books of all colors, shapes, and sizes, Christian couldn't decide which books to look at first! We walked over to a nearby table with a dozen books in hand, and Christian's eyes widened as we decided which books he would take home. Later that evening, I received a phone call from Christian's mother. She was almost in tears, amazed that Christian had not put down his book since the moment he arrived home. By Monday, Christian had already finished his first book. That one trip to the library seemed to ignite in him a passion for books and reading, and I rejoiced in this progress.
I look around at my students today, and sitting proudly in his chair fixated on his book is the same Christian Aguilar that just three months ago thought my library books looked better on the floor. He carries around his library card as if it were an official identification card to an elite club. When the timer rings indicating that the Reader's Workshop has ended, Christian holds up his hand, "Why do you give us so little time to read?" My new battle is getting Christian to stop reading. When I do so, he always says, "I want more power, Ms. Ortega."
Our library visit got Christian excited about books, and with his newfound enthusiasm for reading, we got to work. While the rest of my scholars run off on Friday afternoons excited about their weekends, Christian chooses to stay behind with me so that we can review his classwork and weekly assessments. He's always so excited to see the work he's produced. I'm proud to say that Christian's reading level has increased by two years and he is now on grade level. Christian is feeling more confident because of his success. His behavior no longer impedes his education, and he sets the example for other students who may also struggle. It's been an added help that Christian's mother now works in the daytime, giving her the opportunity to check his homework every night. We've worked so hard to achieve the success that he's seen, but my work is far from done. Christian has dramatically improved in reading, but now we're working hard to increase his math and writing skills, too. After his success with reading, Christian is more responsive to my instruction, although he still puts up a battle; Needless to say, it is a battle I am willing and able to take on.
I feel honored to have been able to show Christian that he CAN be successful academically with dedication and hard work. Christian now understands the importance of doing well in school -- he has even taped a little reminder onto his desk: "I have the power. I can be successful."
Note: Some names have been changed in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
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