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Now that I am teaching at Washington Intermediate School in Dinuba, I am using all of the reading and writing skills that I have at my disposal to effectively teach my students how to effectively read and write. I really feel that having my students read and write every day is key to their success both in and out of the classroom. I have noticed that many students are disconnected from the reading and writing process due to distance learning. I see handwriting and reading skills that have been put on hold for the last year and a half. I am slowly but surely getting my students to get into the groove of reading and writing daily, and I am excited to see what my students will create and how they will progress after receiving quality instruction. I strive to be an effective educator because I was once that student who was disconnected from the classroom. Although it was for different reasons, I feel that I have experiences and skills that will help my students to be successful in the English classroom.

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The college years came later for me than for most. I chose to work after high school because I felt that I needed that money. The day I decided to go back to school to become an educator I was worried that I had lost it all. I remember my first English class being English 1 at Reedley Community College with Mr. Garza. I was worried that I would totally fail at writing here. I remember writing my first paper and getting my grade, and to my surprise, I earned a B+. I was so excited for that B+. The other students at my table received C's, and I did not have the heart to tell them that I had received a B+. Here I was an older student always asking questions, but asking those questions paid off, and I was well on my way to being successful. As far as reading has went throughout college, it has been more for course purposes than for enjoyment. I like to think I still have the reading bug in me, but I just don't have the time to let it loose right now. I am looking forward to the day when I have enough time to read for pleasure again.

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Then came my sophomore year in high school and my English teacher Mr. Lerma. I was still defying authority and trying to be one of the cool kids. I rarely brought anything to class, and I never read or wrote anything for fun. Then it came time to write an essay on something that we knew how to do. We were having a writing workshop in the classroom when Mr. Lerma told me that I needed to bring in a rough draft so that I could participate the following day. For some reason I wanted to please him, so I went home and wrote an essay on changing a car tire. When I came back the following day, Mr. Lerma wanted to check if I brought anything before he paired me up with someone. He read my paper and was almost in shock by how well it was written. He asked me if I had someone write the paper for me because I never did anything in class. I remember laughing and going on with my day. He then started watching me and encouraging me to write anytime I had a chance. He ultimately told me that he was impressed with my writing skills and that I had a talent that I should not waste. This really encouraged me to want to do something with myself. I stopped trying to fit in with the cool kids, and I started trying to get back on track. I will always remember Mr. Lerma because when all my other teachers doubted me and wrote me off as a loser, he believed in me.

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Then came late middle school and early high school! I lost my drive to be the best student that I could be. I wanted to fit in and be cool, and being cool did not include reading, writing, or being a Spelling Bee nerd! I carried this attitude for a couple of years, and honestly I felt that I would never pick up another book or write for fun again if it was up to me. Thankfully this was short lived, and I realized what a bad mindset I was in. I knew that I needed to go back to being a nerd if I was going to make it and get myself out of this slump.

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When I was in grade school I was a great reader and writer, and this led to me being able to spell very well. I won the school Spelling Bee a couple of times, and I was in the spelling bee every year up until middle school. Reading was still a big part of my life, which I believed helped me tremendously in my selling abilities. The other students hated that I was always being chosen for the spelling bees. Even when we had spell offs for the right to represent the class, the students would usually be upset that I won. They started calling me a Spelling Bee nerd, but honestly, I thought that was quite the title!

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As a child I grew up with a Spanish speaking mother that needed constant translation out in public. I always remember reading and writing both in Spanish and in English because my older brothers always spoke English, but my mother only communicated in Spanish. I remember watching cartoons and reading all of the words on the screen and wanting to just read and read. When I found out that my older brother had books in his backpack that resembled the cartoons I would watch, I couldn't keep my hands off of them. Let's just say I was in deep trouble more than once because I forgot to put his books back in the bag before he left for school. That did not stop me though. I was hooked on books so bad, and because of that I became one of the best readers, spellers, and writers in every class that I was in.