Helping students chart their own path
Iknow firsthand the persistent struggles that many of my kids encounter once they step foot off the school grounds, because I once was in their shoes. Growing up homeless for a significant part of my childhood, I could have easily fallen into the prescribed pathway for a kid in my circumstance, but I promised myself not to let that moment in time define who I was or hinder my opportunities for future success.
With each obstacle, I became more resilient and more determined to make my dreams a reality. And I did.
Now that I’m an educator, it’s important for me to make sure that my students know they have someone in their corner. Whatever their struggle, I make a conscious effort to get them excited about their future. A future that is filled with infinite possibilities at every turn and down every avenue they decide to embark, no matter the obstacles that come their way.
With the right amount of information and resources, students can chart their own path and feel empowered to make an informed decision as it pertains to their academics. However, the necessary information and resources may not be readily available in every state and district — especially in an easily digestible format for parents and students. As a result, many kids don’t know what goal they are reaching for, and their parents aren’t able to effectively communicate what the road map may look like.
Recently, I accepted the honor of becoming an Aim High Fellow. Through Game Plan for Success’ Aim High Fellowship, I have the opportunity to amplify my voice in partnership with other leaders within the community to develop a “game plan for success” that will address the many challenges facing these students and even parents who have an extreme lack of information and resources to make informed decisions impacting their academic careers.
The goal is for this plan to act as an exemplar for other educators and their students, one that they can utilize within their own classrooms and districts.
In sixth grade I drew a picture of myself as a teacher. And today, now that I have accomplished that goal, I hope to inspire my students. I am proof that you should not let your circumstances define you. You define your circumstance. My economic status didn’t define me. My ZIP code didn’t define me. My lack of resources didn’t define me.
That period in my life I define as one thing — growth. Growth is essential in achieving success, and without those obstacles, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I know that my students can achieve the same, and I will work to make sure those circumstances don’t define my students.
Arcelia (Liz) Guillermo-Rios is a fifth-grade dual language teacher at Desert Trail Elementary School in Chaparral, N.M.