At Niños Heroes Elementary Academic Center in Chicago, Rosa Covarrubias teaches a multiage bilingual class in which kindergarteners and first graders rotate through learning centers in key content areas, working independently and cooperatively on all aspects of the curriculum. She teaches them to write in journals, tracing their development from simple letter formation to copying entire sentences, and later teaches them to type compositions on the computer. Mrs. Covarrubias also records reading and phonics lessons on tape, giving students an auditory exposure to usage and oral skills. She trained colleagues in using software to generate lesson plans years before the Chicago Board of Education initiated this requirement. Coordinator of the annual Cinco de Mayo Assembly, Mrs. Covarrubias holds after-school classes on writing and technology and presents workshops for the community on topics including health, finances and immigration.
1998 Colombia College, M.A.
