Anna Reyes is a 2020 TFA Corps member teaching Pre-K dual language at Sgt. Leonel Trevino Elementary School in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District.
What motivated you to apply to join Teach For America and choose to teach in the Rio Grande Valley?
I never truly understood what Teach For America was until one day I met Ana Gonzalez (TFA’s regional executive director) while working for AmeriCorps UTRGV, and we began having a conversation about my dream of wanting to become a teacher just like my grandmother. She then gave me a business card and told me, “When you graduate, come look for me. I want you to join my team.” Long story short, I kept the card in my purse. One day, when I was applying for graduation, I got an email that asked if I wanted to join TFA and I applied. When I got called for the interview, I realized that Ana was the same person that gave me her business card two years before and I knew that God wouldn’t have put her in my life all those years ago if there wasn’t a purpose. It has been the best decision I have ever made. Being in TFA has opened so many doors for me and I will forever be thankful for being at the right place at the right time!
The reason that I chose to teach in the Rio Grande Valley is because I always told myself that when I did become a teacher that I would want to be able to give back to the communities that gave me an education. There is no other place I would rather be than right here in the RGV. The need for teachers that truly care and want what’s best for these students is huge. I am glad that I get to give back to the RGV through serving the community on my teaching journey, while also teaching my students that you can achieve any dream you have set for yourself with hard work and dedication and that I will be right beside them cheering them on, even when I am no longer their teacher.
What has been one of the most surprising things you’ve come to learn about education during your time as a classroom leader?
I have always wanted to be a teacher, just like my grandmother was (for 40 years). What surprised me the most is how naturally teaching students came to me. Since day one I noticed that my job truly never felt like a job! It is something that I have a passion for, and it quickly became more than just a job for me. There is nothing I enjoy more than being in the classroom teaching and learning with my students.
Another thing that caught me by surprise was the realization that listening to my grandma’s stories and hearing about the experiences she went through shaped me into the educator that I am today. I never had my grandmother as a teacher, but everyone only ever spoke good things about her. When I sit here and reflect on last school year, which was my first in the classroom, I know that I share many of the same qualities that she possessed on her teaching journey.
Being a first-year teacher during a pandemic and teaching virtually was not easy by any means. The experience taught me that I am resilient, I chose courage when times got tough and continuously learned throughout the year about what worked and what my students needed to be successful. Being a teacher is a never-ending job that is so rewarding. Getting to watch my students’ eyes light up when they fully understood something or learned a new skill on their own truly made my days as a teacher that much more special. I feel so blessed to be at the school that I am (Sgt. Leonel Trevino Elementary) and that my grandma taught me that if there is anything that I take from my teaching journey, she would hope that it would be to understand that every single day I get to impact the lives of children and that I have to be the leader that I want them to be in the future. These children look up to me and it is my job to not only teach them but to show them that I truly care about each and every student that steps foot into my classroom.
If you could change one thing for your students, what would it be?
If I could change one thing for my students it would be the way learning happened during the pandemic year. My students were 3 years old last school year, so most of them weren’t able to really make a connection to learning due to the fact that all learning happened virtually. I also noticed it in my students last year. It was hard for them to really focus because of all the distractions happening around them at home. I noticed just how much learning in-person is important, especially for children that are in Pre-K.
What lessons are you learning now that will help you continue to work toward educational equity in the future?
Some of the lessons that I have learned in the last year as a teacher are that it is very important for me as the leader of my classroom to make sure that I establish a classroom environment that is inclusive. I do so by having rules that teach my students to play in the classroom and learn with one another in a way that promotes inclusivity. I have included rules that say “we have helping hands” “Tenemos manos que ayudan” y “Tenemos una boca que respeta” “We have a respectful mouth.” My students are learning that it is important to use words that are kind and not words that hurt others. We are also learning that we are a family and that in this family we do things in a way that will help others be successful, such as including someone that may not want to participate in centers so that they feel welcome and they know that their classmates are there for them to help them along the way.
Being a pre-K teacher has taught me so much in the short amount of time that I have been teaching. I have learned that I am the person that helps them decide if they will like school for the rest of their lives, I am the one that helps them learn how we should treat one another. This is where it all begins. So I need to make sure that I am being a good example and teaching them all the right things for them to take with them for the rest of their lives.
Can you share an anecdote or personal experience from your classroom or school?
On March 2, 2021, the same grandma that I mentioned above passed away after struggling with pneumonia for a couple of months. That loss taught me so much, but the main thing that I learned from a loss so great is that my school is a family and that they would truly do anything they could to make sure that I was okay, not only physically but also mentally. They prayed for me, cried with me, laughed with me and just showed me that they cared for me. I also had parents that would check in on me daily to make sure that I was okay and that’s when I knew that I was more than just a teacher on this campus!
There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for anyone at my school, whether it be parents of students, the students themselves or my coworkers. They all go above and beyond to make sure that we are okay!
I would also like to take the time to thank my school counselor Ms. Rubio for being there for me daily and always checking in on me; last school year was a time that was difficult for everyone, but she never left my side. My principal Mrs. Villescas for going above and beyond for me daily to make sure that I was mentally ready to teach and to make sure that I took the time I needed to take care of my needs before returning to school. Lastly, I’d like to thank my former assistant principal Mrs. Reyes for also going above and beyond for me with prayers, check-ins and daily reminders that God has a plan for our lives and that though times may seem tough in the moment, the moment won’t last forever!
When I say I am so blessed to work for PSJA I truly mean it! Working for Sgt. Leonel Trevino Elementary has been the best thing that has come out of my first year as a teacher and I hope I get to work here for 40 years, just like my grandmother did at her former school.
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.
