What motivated you to apply to join Teach for America and choose to teach in the Rio Grande Valley?
During my undergraduate years, I always found myself wanting to help others. My involvement in organizations at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, opened many doors for me to work with organizations like The Capable Kids Foundation and TEAM Mario. As graduation approached, I found myself looking up graduate programs to apply for and decided to pursue a master’s in special education. When I came across Teach for America, I realized that they focus on helping underrepresented communities. Growing up low income and being a first-generation student, I knew firsthand the struggles that many Hispanic students face in the education system and I felt the need to be part of the change. This is when I decided to apply to Teach for America. I remember staring at the application for a few days, wondering if this was the right time to apply. The RGV has always been my home. I was born and raised in Edinburg, Texas and I had no plans to move away any time soon. When I learned that I did not have to move away, I jumped at the opportunity.
What has been one of the most surprising things you have come to learn about education during your time as a classroom leader?
By far the best lesson I have learned is that our students will always teach us more than we could have thought possible. Throughout my first year in the classroom, I learned so much about myself from the relationships I built with them. They have taught me just how strong I can really be and have made me fall in love with teaching, more than I ever thought possible.
This job is not easy! It takes a lot to work in the classroom and many do not acknowledge that. People assume teachers have it easy, but this job is by far one of the hardest things I have ever done. Not everyone can handle being an educator, but my students have taught me that this is where I belong! Through the ups and the downs, I love what I do. I am forever grateful for my kiddos and the joy they bring me.
If you could change one thing for your students, what would it be?
I struggle with the intense focus placed on state assessments. A standardized exam does not do full justice to what our students truly have to offer. If I could change one thing for our students, it would be to focus less on only this one assessment. Our students do so much throughout the school year and I’d love to see academic outcomes measured in multiple ways. They spend the school year completing projects, essays, and much more that can be compiled into a portfolio. By saving these samples, we are able to measure their progress and have data conversations with them so they themselves are able to track their progress.
What lessons are you learning now that will help you continue to work toward educational equity in the future?
This pandemic has taught us all that the decisions made by our local government and school districts, greatly impact not only the teachers and students but also the parents. Throughout this year I have witnessed how many decisions are negatively affecting our students’ families. I understand that the goal is to make this year “as normal as possible” but it is necessary that we acknowledge the situation that we are in. It is difficult to require students to remain logged on to virtual classes all day long. I have heard people say, “If they were on campus they would be in class all day so it should not be different now that they are home.” but the truth is, things have changed and the way we approach school, should too. We have parents who are struggling because now that the students are online all day, their light bill is now double, maybe even triple what it used to be. Some families have multiple students logged on at once and as someone who did not grow up with the luxury of wifi, I can relate to the struggles they face. This motivates me more to strive towards making a change. It is important to hear from the families and figure out how to best help them, for us to have a united front. Our main priority is our students, but with that comes building strong relationships with their parents/guardians.
Can you share an anecdote or personal experience from your classroom or school?
Being that last year was my first year as a teacher, I found myself constantly wondering if I was doing enough. Growing up in Edinburg, I always had amazing English teachers that helped me enjoy the subject and learn lifelong lessons. I wanted to be able to do the same for my own students, but everything felt so different, especially talking to them through a camera due to the pandemic. I attended every class trying to be as transparent and vulnerable with them as I could but that little voice inside my head, continued to make me wonder “Am I doing enough?” As the school year came to an end, we hosted a drive by parade for students to pick up their End of Year Awards.
I knew one of my students was not going to be able to attend, so afterwards I went by her mom’s job, which was right by our campus, to deliver the awards. To my surprise my student was there. She thanked me for taking the time to deliver her awards and for believing in her but what really got to me was when she said, “You didn’t just believe in me, you helped me start believing in myself.”
As I drove home, I broke down crying because this was exactly the type of impact I always wanted to have on my students. I do not think that student will ever understand that in that moment, she helped me start believing in myself as an educator.
Teach for America (TFA) is the national nonprofit organization committed to the idea that one day, all children will attain an excellent education. To this end, the organization partners with communities to inspire the next generation of leaders to address unequal educational opportunities that fall along the lines of race and class. They begin this lifelong work with an initial two-year commitment to teach in some of the nation’s most underserved schools. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, 61 corps members work in seven districts across the region.
