Elisabethe Ocon Calderon
How did you decide to go into the education field?
Through my personal experiences as a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student, I knew before college that I wanted to pursue a career in the education system, but I was unsure of what that looked like for me. As I began my journey in education, I was in nonprofit education. Through those experiences, I began my teaching experience with Teach for America, Class of 2018. It was through my time in the corp. that I began to fully understand what I wanted my role in education to be inside and outside a classroom. I decided to continue in education to work alongside a community that pursues educational equity.
How has school funding made a difference in your classroom?
School funding makes a significant difference in our classrooms. Through my years in teaching, more than half of the resources were funded by me and my co-teachers. In my first year as a Special Education teacher, I remember all of my advocacy was for funding, our students not having the curriculum needed for "simple" things like manipulatives. It was more exhausting to keep advocating. As I moved into my second year, the classroom was completely different, we had updated books, fidgets and manipulatives, pencils, and even blinds. As educators in a school, we have a responsibility to serve our students, but teachers cannot do their job without the proper resources and funds.
What resources and supports can further benefit your classroom/school/community?
As much of a typical answer this might be, I would say, funding. Our communities need access to resources in mental health, education, health, and so much more, and the lack of accessibility is funding. At this time, I think that access to medical care and healthy habits is crucial. Many of our families do not have access to healthy foods or do not have primary care doctors due to insurance. While these are factors that happen outside of a school or classroom, from my experiences they play a massive impact. If our students are not being taken care of as a whole child, they cannot be prepared to engage in our classrooms.
Who/What inspires you? Why?
Many things inspire my work and advocacy but my parents’ journey and their experiences in the U.S. inspire me the most. As a first-generation Latina, I grew up with so much responsibility from an early age but the more I get to unpack my experiences, my parents have always been there. My parents came from Mexico for financial needs; in Mexico they did not have the opportunity to attend school because they had to work. When they came to the U.S. they sacrificed so much for a better future. The journey they took to come to the U.S. and what they continue to navigate inspires me to continue working alongside my community for educational equity and systemic change.
What accomplishment fills you with pride so far this year?
This question is a little hard to answer for me because at times I feel like I have taken ten steps back with my journey, but I would say that one of the accomplishments that fills me with pride so far this year is a personal one. Putting myself in new experiences, for example, joining the Educational Advisory Council. A few years ago, if the opportunity had presented itself, I think I would have not even applied because while I wanted to pursue advocacy outside of my classroom, my advocacy was led by my fear. Now, my advocacy is led by the students and community I serve, my parents, and my journey for policy and systemic change.
If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
I would share a quote that carries with me in all spaces by Sor Juana Ines, "yo no estudio para saber mas, si no para ignorar menos" which translates to " I do not study to know more, but to ignore less". This quote reminds me of my journey with my students but also the impact I want to create among our students, ignore less to be able to fight back.
What is your favorite movie/book?
The Harry Potter series and films.