The journey has officially begun. After a lifetime of preparation, I have finally stepped into my role as a California Credentialed Teacher of English. Following my work with students in Southern Marin County, my internship at Novato High School offered a transformative new perspective. I was assigned to Beginning English classes consisting of over eighty students, all of whom had been in the country for less than two years.
The start was a trial by fire. I arrived to find no instructional materials, lesson plans, or textbooks. The outgoing teacher simply suggested I cover twenty pages of a basic workbook by the end of the semester; for my Intermediate classes, I was entirely on my own. Overcoming this challenge required leaning into my core values and my fluency in Spanish. I came to the Redlands School of Education with a commitment to providing an equitable education for students of all backgrounds. By prioritizing trust and accessibility, I created an environment where students felt comfortable taking risks. By emphasizing effort over perfection, I modeled the responsibilities of the classroom and helped my students transcend the limitations of the previous year’s remote learning.
I wasn’t alone in this process. My mentor guided me through the logistics of securing textbooks and structuring my delivery. She championed my creative risks, such as a self-designed Graphic Novel unit and the integration of digital platforms to increase engagement. Together, we refined my strategies for supporting a constant stream of new arrivals and adapting content for diverse native speakers.
My time at Redlands taught me to look beyond the curriculum to the challenges students face in a new country. I realized my role was not just to teach English, but to serve as an advocate and a guide for "how to do high school." I became a bridge to the community, helping students navigate sports, clubs, service groups, and counseling services.
Ultimately, this program provided the foundation for my life’s work. My vision is to empower students to become future leaders and social activists who understand the urgency of meaningful change. I am finally the teacher I set out to be—standing at the "jumping off place" that a group of high schoolers first encouraged me to pursue back in 2019.