In the Classroom -- TeWinkle Triumph

Deirdre Newman

TeWinkle Middle School has gotten a bad rap in the district for not

focusing enough attention on Latino students trying to learn English.

Last year, a complaint was filed by a parent with the United States

Department of Education.

This year, one teacher has taken the initiative to bolster the skills

and confidence of English language learners at the school. Armed with a

background in linguistics and a proactive approach to language

development, Patrick Herrera manages his students with the patience of a

Zen master.

Herrera tailors his lessons to his students -- identifying common

grammatical errors that Latino students make, like using multiple

negative words in a sentence.

“I come down to their level in a different manner so they can have

more success,” Herrera said.

Herrera transitioned into English language development after teaching

Spanish for many years.

“Once I tried it, I fell in love with it,” Herrera said. “You’re

empowering them to make a life. Without language, you can’t do anything.”

At the beginning of the school year, Herrera talked to all the

TeWinkle teachers to find out which students were struggling in their

classrooms. The teachers amended the students’ schedules so they can take

Herrera’s classes.

The move proved extremely beneficial for eighth-grader Melissa

Morales, who said she fell behind in elementary school because she was

being taught in Spanish.

“When I came to this class, I didn’t know how to read and spell,”

Melissa said. “Now my friends tell me I spell really well.”

Early on, many students were getting D’s and F’s on assignments.

Recently, they’ve been getting A’s and B’s, except for two students who

came later in the year, Herrera said.

In a recent class, Herrera, who does not use any Spanish in his

teaching, asked his students to read a short passage and then answer true

and false questions, some of which involved making inferences. In going

over vocabulary words, Herrera is quick to point out multiple meanings of

words like “serve.”

Many of Herrera’s students say they appreciate his engaging teaching

style.

“If we don’t understand something, he’s there to help us,” said

eighth-grader Jenny Santos. “He’s really a fun teacher to be with because

you learn faster.”

Principal Jeff Goss said Herrera is an asset to the school’s team

approach to English language development.

Herrera “helps a lot with assessment and going over test results,”

Goss said. “He really gets to know his students, understand them and help

them with what they need.”

Perhaps the greatest testament to Herrera’s influence on his students

is the cherished folder of letters he keeps from former students, who

express their gratefulness with their newly acquired English language

skills.

“Mr. Herrera makes me feel very proud of myself,” Maria Bustos wrote

last spring. “He taught me how to never give up. Knowing a person like

Mr. H is one of the best things that could ever happen in your life

because the things he teaches you bring nothing but rewards.”

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Deirdre Newman visits a campus within the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and writes about her experience.