Hello my name is Alma Luna Trinidad. I am a Liberal Studies Major. I came from a Mexican family. I live in a small town called Gridley, California. I am the oldest of my five siblings, very pressure as a role model to discover the way to success. I will demonstrate that hard and dedication is the key to everything. I love working with children. I have been a tutor Mi C.A.S.A. Education After School Program for about 8 years. As I was growing up, our community on the outside of Gridley wasn’t a very safe. The Mi C.A.S.A Education Program helped clean up the streets from gangs, violence, and drugs. I remember when the program was starting, I was about in 2nd or 3rd grade, when I would come from school there in front of my house I could see gang members doing their business. It was scary at night i would hear gunshots and I would cover myself and hide under the bed praying our windows wouldn’t break. The name of the program, MI C.A.S.A., translated means “my home” which is exactly what it is, a place where the children feel safe and are encouraged to do their very best in order to succeed. This is very true in my case. The point of the program was to keep children off of the streets and help them graduate high school. The program has done so much more. They program has helped students like me do so much more. The two teachers running the program have been my inspiration to aspire a career in teaching. I am very grateful for all their support all this years. I am giving back every day helping children who are in need of academic support, as I needed growing up especially as a second language learner. When I was growing up the English language learners, weren’t considered the brightest of the bunch but, the “dumb Mexicans”. Even though the many teachers did not consider that side of town the safest place, these two teachers didn’t care to go. They knew that the students weren’t “dumb” but, just needed support on their homework which wasn’t being offered at home. I want to inspire children and give them the opportunity to contribute to our society as good citizens.

This our website if you are curious to know more about it http://www.micasaeducation.com/

What does a reader mean? Well into me the opposite of me. Growing up, that was one of my struggles, reading. I didn’t know much about it since I didn’t have someone to read to me or to read to. My parents didn’t know much about either, all they knew was to send me to school so I could learn. The teacher would send me back home with books to read with my parents. I never really learned how, until the after-school program. They took the time to actually listen to me read. My parents didn’t know and the teachers didn’t have the time. By that time I was in 3rd grade, I was required to know how to read which made it hard for me to like it. I read yes, books and novels haven’t been much of an attraction, but as I am on social media or hear something interesting on the news. I look it up to find information. I read to inform myself about situations going on. Some of the topics I read could be of some of the reading I do at school depending if I am interested in the topic of the class. Like this class, I don’t know much about the authors and their books but from researching some of these books required for the class. I might just enjoy reading. Williams’s article is interesting. Some of the take-away from the article is that teachers need to first define what a reader to them is and then tell their students what she means to say someone is a “reader”. Students have developed misconception of what a reader is, one of the reasons could be because of what they see in movies. Even though, everyone may read at a everyday basis they might not consider himself as readers. Teachers need to eliminate these misconceptions in students by identifying what qualities a reader has and how they will put into practice. Students also need to understand reading is fun.