Dos Distritos, Una Semana (two districts, one week)

What a week it has been. Although this week was stressful with tests and homework assignments in other classes, the Independent Study and Mentorship program has been the source of encouragement this week. The opportunities and the experiences I went through this week have prepared me for my future and increased my knowledge of the bilingual education field. It was amazing being able to meet with two professionals who have become successful in their careers. The best parts of the week were meeting with both Michelle Orobitg-Baca and Aida Samaniego.

On Wednesday, I drove to to the McKinney ISD Administration Building to meet with Michelle Orobitg-Baca. Mrs. Orobitg-Baca is the ESL/BIlingual Coordinator for the district. In this job, she oversees and supports the eight bilingual campuses, observes the classrooms, and gives advice to the teachers which improves their teaching, leading to the success of the children. I felt very welcomed and encouraged while I spoke with her. I walked out of the interview ready to push through any challenges I might face. The most important piece of advice she gave me was to always be willing to take it one step further and to practice my reading and writing skills in Spanish. Less than forty eight hours later, I met with Mrs. Aida Samaniego, first grade bilingual teacher and team lead at Christie Elementary. The format that Frisco ISD uses to teach their first grade bilingual classes is different than McKinney ISD. Mrs. Samaniego taught me about the dual one way format and how she overcomes any challenges she faces with teaching her classroom. Although the two districts use different formats, they both have the same problem: the students home life. Bilingual students often lack support at home. The parents of the children often do not speak the language that their kids are being taught at school. It is not that they do not care about their kids success, it is because they do not know how to help. Many families in this community to not have the resources, time, or money to learn another language to help their kids.

As I reflect on this week, I feel that I am even more called to teach. I am thankful for the interviews I have had in this past week. In the future, I hope to become successful, as these adults have become. Although I felt very comforted and welcomed in both interviews, I hope to find professionals closer to home that I can ask to be a mentor. As I move forward, I will continue to gain knowledge and meet more professionals that can one day become a potential mentor.