Position: Substitute Teacher - English Language Learners
School: Canoga Park High School
School District: Los Angeles Unified School District
City, State: Los Angeles, CA
Guadalupe Rojas was nominated by a member of the community, Erica Soria.
Ms. Rojas is passionate about raising the graduation percentage for the ESL students in her school. According to Rojas, "I'm a long term substitute teacher for English Learners in the math department, and I need some essential materials for my classroom. These include notebooks, binders/folders, pencils, whiteboards, whiteboard erasers, calculators, and rulers. I also need a printer and other classroom supplies to print worksheets for students, stay organized, and create a safe learning environment."
Ms. Rojas continued by saying, "As a substitute teacher, I don't have the same resources as regular teachers, so I often end up using my own money to help the students, especially those who are new to the country and may not have all the necessary materials. I want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for these students because I understand what it's like to be in their shoes. They will be thankful because as mentioned before, unfortunately the students have to get a job whether they're in school or not. With the materials, it feels like I am giving back to them because of their living circumstances. I wish they had the opportunity to get things that they need in order to learn in school."