Language Learning, News + People
Employee Spotlight: Rocio Evans
Along with its global leaders program and ambassadors, Participate Learning offers dual language programs in schools in the Carolinas and Virginia through ambassadors. These programs allow for international teachers to teach curriculum to students in English as well as in their native tongue.
The implementation of these programs facilitates improvement in both English and second language skills, and it immerses students in a new culture by learning from a native of the country they are studying.
Path to Participate Learning
As a dual language instructional specialist, Rocio Evans works to support ambassadors in their school placements during their stay in the United States. Rocio is familiar with the transition process into US public schools as she is both Honduran and Costa Rican. She left Honduras in 2007 to work as an ambassador in one of the first schools to implement the our dual language program.
Over the course of her five years as an ambassador, she taught kindergarten, first, and third grades. As she gained more experience in the classroom during these years, she became a mentor and a teacher-leader to other incoming ambassadors by helping them acclimate to their new culture and school system. When recounting her favorite memory with Participate Learning, Rocio exclaimed,
“Being an ambassador! I still keep all the written notes my program manager left when she visited. I have them stored by year and saw them when cleaning my desk the other day; it was nice to reread that feedback. Now, I get to do that and help our ambassadors during their own adventures.”
A Day in the Life
Following her time teaching, Rocio returned home and in 2014 was hired as a dual language instructional specialist within the Teacher Resources department, which has allowed her to continue providing her expertise and feedback to teachers currently placed in schools. When describing her position, Rocio stated,
“On a typical workday, I have virtual observations scheduled. I fill out notes and then meet with teachers to debrief. I provide feedback on their lesson plans and look for resources to support them.”
In addition to her role in supporting ambassadors face-to-face, she also takes calls from them, prepares training materials for webinars, and meets with the other members in her team. With four members in her instructional team, Rocio enjoys being able to collaborate and share feedback on ideas for projects in order to provide the most effective support for ambassadors.
Currently, she is excited about preparing materials to train upcoming ambassadors during summer orientation and eager to start building those connections.
Deliver Excellent Work
Rocio finds her biggest success while working for Participate Learning is through establishing connections with the ambassadors she coaches. She identified the Participate Learning core value that most resonates with her as “deliver excellent work.”
Rocio considers herself to be a team player and attributes her best work – when she is able to collaborate with others. When she is accountable for her responsibilities, it not only supports her coworkers, but improves the ambassador experience in the process. When she is not at work, Rocio enjoys spending her spare time doing activities with her children. “I enjoy seeing their little brains learning and using the knowledge in everyday life.”
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of employees like Rocio, our ambassadors have the support and resources needed to be as successful as possible within their classrooms.
Find out more about how you can teach in the US.