Rivas Statement of Inquiry

Gabriela Rivas, M. Ed.

ESOL Teacher

Statement of Inquiry

Where have you been?

For the past 3 years, I have nurtured my craft as an ESOL teacher at a local Northern Virginia Public School. I have continually researched the latest information on strategies, methods, and approaches that would help me teach my student population to the best of my ability. Trying to expand my services to help more children, I have also provided reading instruction to non-ESOL students and dually identified students (ESOL and Learning Disability).

What do you know already?

I have observed that ESOL, dually identified, and non-ESOL students share the need for similar Tier 2 interventions and multi-modal instructional support in order to close the achievement gap between them and the general education population. My quest for greater knowledge inspired me to pursue an endorsement as a reading specialist through the University of Virginia. I do not plan to change departments. Rather, I hope to obtain greater expertise in order to be a stronger advocate for the individual needs of my students.

Where are you going?

I see myself teaching in the trenches for about two more years. Being a career switcher, I bring experiences of years as an ESOL advocate through the Arlington County ESOL/HILT Citizens Advisory Group, a parent of ESOL and dually identified students, social entrepreneurship skills for outreach work with the Latino community, and business management expertise.  

What questions still linger?

Therefore, at this point of my life, I see the need for me to serve a wider population. How can I reach more students, including those outside my classroom? How can I share the techniques I have used with such great success with other ESOL teachers? How can I share these with non-ESOL teachers? How can I help the teaching community be cognizant of the needs of our ESOL, dually-identified, and economically disadvantaged students?

Where do you want to be?

I think that my mission in life, now, is to be an advocate for those who have no voice. I have the need to reach a wider audience. I want for ESOL teachers to see that ESOL students CAN make two or four years worth of progress within one single school year, if provided with properly tailored instruction.

I see that I can do this with a blog presence where I share about my personal experiences as an ESOL student and ESOL teacher and the teaching strategies that have worked with my students.

In addition, with the training provided by the Northern Virginia Writing Project, I hope to present at TESOL conferences and even at international conferences on literacy.

In two years, I hope to be working as an adjunct professor in the summer or studying for my administration and supervision endorsement or doctorate, God willing and with good health. #cancer survivor