LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Elma Gloria was nominated by her vice principal, Gabriela Menchaca.

Picture the librarian in your elementary school. Now, scratch that. Chances are, Ms. Gloria is not the person you imagined. She's not the librarian who teaches the Dewey Decimal System or expects the library to be quiet. Instead, Ms. Gloria is the librarian who gets students moving, learning, making connections and talking about their learning . 

Ms. Gloria is the librarian who will go above and beyond for all of her "Falcons." She shares great books with students, not only because they're fantastic, or so the students can get lost in them, but because she has personally read them and knows the students can relate to the characters and the situations they're going through in. Yes, she is that kind of librarian, one that knows all of her schools students, empathizes with their situations, and brightens their day.  

Ms. Gloria is an innovator who applies technology in every lesson she can.  She has Breakout boxes that include locks, black light ink, flashlights, QR codes, and other items that make every lesson hands-on. She not only does this with upper grades, but lower grades.  Another example of her hands-on instruction is her poetry lesson. She teaches the students to rhyme with rapping, rhythm, and popular songs that the students know. The students record themselves using Chatterpix.  These lessons are unforgettable and will have a great impact on the students. 

At the beginning of the year, Ms. Gloria dressed as a chef and introduced her library as a “Readers Café”. She is a LifeChanger because she empowers students to learn to travel by reading a book. She is a LifeChanger because she empowers learners.  Recently, she asked teachers to share their bitmojis and share what the teachers are reading.  She has a wall to show the students that even their teachers are reading! 

Ms. Gloria goes out of her way for all students and teachers. To say that she is a favorite does not even put her work into perspective, but to know that this amazing educator does it for the good of the students, while expecting nothing in return, is priceless.

"As her Vice Principal, walking into Elma's library is my happy place," said Menchaca. "It's a place where I see students taking risks, experimenting with different genres, using different reading skills, and having some quiet time to read. Some student who we know aren't reading at the level they should be take the risk of checking out Harry Potter books. Their parents will tell us they had to read it with and for their children. Without even knowing it, Elma is even brining quality time for families. They'll share a book over dinner or read it out loud in bed as parents are tucking their children in. I know for a fact she had changed so many of our students' lives by instilling a passion for reading."