A typical day in my life as an educator is filled with both joy and challenges. The most rewarding part of my job is when I’m able to use my home language, Spanish, to connect with my English Language Learners (ELLs). There’s nothing more fulfilling than modeling to them that, just like me, they too can become biliterate. Seeing their confidence grow as they realize their potential brings me immense joy.
However, the hardest part of my day is advocating for the support my students need, which requires a lot of advocacy and coordination with other teachers, counselors, and staff. I pull students out of class for the first three segments of the day and work with them individually, meeting the unique learning needs of each child. I then push into other classrooms for the remainder of the day, collaborating with teachers to provide additional support as I move from one classroom to the next. My day is always full of movement and interaction, making sure that English Language Learners have what they need to find success academically and emotionally. Despite the challenges, I’m motivated by the small victories and the knowledge that I’m making a difference in my students’ lives.