“I am doing work with great purpose.”

Abstract

Rachael Chou taught first graders in an urban charter school in the mid-Atlantic region that was founded by an arts organization and an immigrant rights group. Years earlier she pursued a career as an aid worker after having studied issues of poverty, economics, and international development. A series of circumstances led her to volunteer at the charter school and her interest in teaching blossomed. Rachael subsequently obtained a teaching degree in elementary education so she could return to this school to teach. As a new teacher, Rachael discusses how she created a positive and empowering learning environment for her students, one filled with authentic, respectful, and culturally meaningful literacy events. Rachael enjoyed high levels of support at the school, including collaborating with a partner teacher, linking with caregivers, and attending university seminars that addressed reading- and writing-workshop approaches.