There is no better breakfast than a good “read” with my coffee. In a sea of bad-news articles, I am always happy to read some good news. And I especially love reading articles about people who make a difference, particularly when they are about teachers. It makes me proud of my years as a classroom teacher and grateful to now have the opportunity to serve members of this elite profession.
The good news? Four Tucson teachers were recently honored for excellence for helping their students surpass achievement norms.
The Rodel Charitable Foundation spent close to a year combing through reams of achievement data for students in low-income schools to pinpoint teachers whose students showed significant academic achievement over a three-year period. They also contacted the school principals and asked which teacher they’d clone if they could. They combined all this data and came up with some outstanding finalists.
ELL students who are capable readers and learners in their native languages are sometimes stymied when reading in English. Letters of the alphabet sound different in English, and sometimes the alphabets are different as well. So, when Edith’s teacher asked her to read out loud from a book, the then third-grader was nervous. To Edith’s surprise, when she opened her mouth the words flowed. From that day on, says Corrales, “reading became something I enjoyed.” It became a joy she wanted to pass on to others who were experiencing the same struggles she had as a student.
Corrales is dedicated to her students and her principal calls her one of the finest teachers he’s ever been associated with. My hat’s off to you, Edith Corrales and all the teachers like you. Thank you for instilling the joy of reading to a new generation.
Teachers are the pillars for building kids personalities. they become role models. They play major role. Honoring them is biggest responsibility.
Its a good post. Thanks.
Jessica