By: Magaly Hernandez
Breakthrough Houston Teaching Fellow, Connect Site 2023
For some people, Breakthrough is an opportunity to learn more about our education system and help children succeed during their learning journeys. For me, Breakthrough is all of this and more. As a Spanish Education major, Breakthrough is an opportunity to practice teaching and prepare to go into my student teaching this upcoming year. Meeting the other Teaching Fellows from my site has truly changed my life because, although some are not seeking a career in education, their passion for closing the education gap is admirable.
- Passion for Education
As I mentioned, our Teaching Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and majors. I have met people who are pursuing careers in political science, business, environmental sciences, and more! It has been a beautiful experience to see how these people have applied to a program like Breakthrough to actively work toward helping students. While most of them do not have experience lesson planning or setting classroom management strategies, it has been amazing to see their dedication to the program. For example, while I was observing my co-teacher Mr. Cime, I was able to see his dedication to student learning shine, as well as the progress he has made as a teacher in the classroom. Breakthrough achieves its goal of addressing equity in education by allowing people to have the opportunity to put in their part in the classroom.
- The Beauty of a Growth Mindset
Contrary to popular belief, Breakthrough gives the opportunity to college students from all majors to teach for their summer program. Working alongside these people has taught me the beauty of a growth mindset. Breakthrough’s diversity is intentional and meant to not only help the students learn from individuals who represent their backgrounds, but also allows Teaching Fellows to learn to see things from a different perspective. Being able to learn from my family co-teachers has been one of the greatest gifts of this experience. Not only have I become a better educator, but I have learned how to have more fun in the classroom and in my personal life!
- Why Breakthrough is Successful
The reason why Breakthrough programs are successful is because of the passion and drive our Teaching Fellows have. These people who in most cases, do not have much experience teaching, want to be involved in the classroom and see what part they can play in changing the education world. While it may take some time to see the change in student lives and the education system, I can assure you they have truly changed my life for the better! Shoutout to my beautiful Family Five at the Connect Site!
Magaly Hernandez is a rising senior at Houston Christian University studying Spanish Education with a concentration in Hispanic Literature. She is passionate about being part of the learning journey of our future generations, and the Spanish language. She loves going on nature walks and watching movies. Ms. Maggie teaches 8th grade Literature, and co-teaches Spanish and Fine Arts. This is her first summer at Breakthrough.
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