Ana Fernandez remembers feeling jealous every time her siblings left their Inwood home to attend school in the mornings. As the youngest of five siblings, Ana watched as her three brothers and sister completed their homework and couldn’t wait until it was her turn.

“I was a little jealous,” she said. “I couldn’t wait to start reading and writing. I used to take my brother’s notebook and started teaching myself how to write.”

Once she got to school, Ana knew right away that she would become a teacher. But it wasn’t until college that she realized her calling was to help students learn English. During her undergraduate studies at Hunter College, where she majored in writing, Ana volunteered for a tutoring program teaching adult English as a second language (ESL) classes.

“I found that work really rewarding,” she said. “I quickly knew that when it came to my master’s, I would do it in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages [TESOL].”

After graduation, Ana began working at C.S. 61 in the Bronx, a Children’s Aid community school. She works with students from kindergarten through fifth grade, teaching them the fundamentals of the English language and preparing them to take state exams. 

In addition to teaching ESL, she visits her students’ classrooms and co-teaches lessons so that they can fully grasp what they’re being taught in math or English class. This year, Ana began teaching a new population at the school. 

“I have really close relationships with a lot of my parents,” she said. “They’ve been comfortable enough to share that they want to learn English.”

While there are ESL classes in the community, Ana thought providing this service in a space where parents have built trusting relationships would encourage more learning. When the school had trouble finding someone to teach the classes, Ana stepped up to the task.

The classes began in March and 16 parents are registered, though there is always a waiting list. In every classroom, Ana strives to create a safe and welcoming place where learners are encouraged to do their best instead of worrying about perfection. She encourages group discussions and allows students to lead. The key to speaking any language is having the confidence to try, she said. 

She recalls a student who started attending C.S. 61 last year. He had a traumatic journey to the United States and completely shut down in her classroom. Ana knew it would take time and dedication to get him to open up. She had many conversations with him, his parents, and other teachers to make him feel comfortable enough to open up. Now, he’s having conversations with his classmates and enjoying writing and reading. 

“It went from 0 to 100 simply because he brought down his guard and pushed himself to get to that level. I think the most rewarding aspect is seeing their growth, not just with speaking, reading, and writing, but also their confidence level – I know I did my job when they reached that level of confidence,” she said.