Introduction

Leydi Sanchez

On Wednesday, February 27, 2013, I visited the Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School, located in Freeport, New York for the first time. Shortly after my arrival, I was introduced to Leydi, a ten year old, fifth grade female that I would be tutoring over the course of several weeks.

During my first visit, I learned a lot about my student, both personally and academically. From the icebreaker activity, which was to have the student create an acrostic poem using her name, I learned that she loves her family; she loves to see her friends happy; her favorite color is yellow; she enjoys doing homework; pizza is her favorite food; she has a twin brother, who is also in the tutoring program; and that she enjoys playing soccer. In addition, the ELA and math pre-assessments provided me with an insight on her learning strengths and needs, which I used to inform future instruction.

Throughout the next six weeks, I implemented three ELA lessons and two mathematics lessons, which included specific learning strategies that were appropriate for my student. These lessons were all extremely successful. Together, culturally responsive teaching, universal design for learning, and explicit instruction is vital for teaching diverse learners. By making the materials, methods, goals and assessment accessible to Leydi, and connecting the importance of the student’s individual experiences into the various components of EI, the learner was able to successfully learn and use new knowledge and skills. 

However, Leydi was not the only person who learned a great deal during our time together. Reflecting on my instruction after each lesson taught me a lot about myself as an educator. I learned that I am ready for the job, and there is nothing in this world that I’d rather do than devote the rest of my life to this profession.