At Escuela de Guadalupe, extra support isn’t something that is only prioritized after students fall behind, and it isn’t reserved only for those who struggle. Our rigorous academic and dual-language model is proactively designed so that students who need reinforcement, students who need fewer distractions, and students who are ready for a bigger challenge all get what they need, without stopping the momentum of the whole class.
Teacher aides and teacher assistants
In Pre-K and kindergarten, classrooms benefit from teacher aides who provide the extra set of hands that helps a classroom of our youngest learners run smoothly. They support routines and transitions, and help prep activities; their role is primarily about helping the classroom function with high levels of attention and preparation.
In 1st and 2nd grade, though, Escuela’s model shifts to include teacher assistants, who are not simply “helpers.” They also teach.
For example, Jessica Magallanes Robles and Maria Lozano-Hernandez, who are the 1st and 2nd grade teacher assistants, enable their classrooms to do something transformational: move from one teacher with one large group of students to multiple educators with multiple small groups at once.
Classrooms built for small groups
Additionally, Escuela’s 1st and 2nd grade classrooms are literally designed for differentiated learning. Each classroom includes a secondary space that can be separated for small group instruction or opened up to create one larger room when needed.
While the lead teacher continues a lesson, the assistant teacher can pull a smaller group into the secondary room to work on exactly what those students need, such as literacy, math skills, language development, or reinforcement of a concept that hasn’t fully clicked yet. Similarly, students who are ready to extend their learning can also be grouped for more advanced work.
Jessica, who recently made a presentation to Escuela’s board of directors about the impact of her role, put it plainly: being a teacher assistant is “more than just a support position. It’s a fulfilling and essential role in the classroom.” Each day, she says, assistants provide “more individual attention, encouragement, and academic support.”
And in a school that offers rigorous academic programming, that extra attention matters. Jessica described how the assistant role helps “students thrive in a fast-paced curriculum,” making space for smaller groups so students can “understand and master the material.”
The team at the heart of instruction
Jessica is part of a four-person team, a close-knit instructional unit that makes this model work day after day: Jessica supports 1st/2nd grade English teacher Karina Acosta-Ferrera, while Maria supports 1st/2nd grade Spanish teacher Maribel Polo. And, because 1st and 2nd grade students switch classrooms every few weeks to learn in either English or Spanish, all four of these teachers meet regularly to discuss student needs.
Jessica explained that she rotates between 1st and 2nd grade for literacy instruction, supports small groups across subjects, tracks homework completion, and prepares learning materials. A major portion of her work is planning and teaching small groups.
“The impact,” she told the board, is that “students feel more comfortable asking questions and participating,” and the overall environment becomes “more positive and productive.”
Third grade: extra support continues
By 3rd grade, the needs of students shift again and Escuela’s support structure shifts with them.
In 3rd grade, there is another full-time assistant teacher, and just like in the younger grades, that assistant has a dedicated space to work with small groups. That space also becomes a valuable option during assessments: some students simply perform better with fewer distractions, more quiet, and a calmer environment when they are testing.
Elizabeth Gonzalez began her assistant work supporting 1st/2nd grade, but she now serves as the teacher assistant to 3rd grade bilingual teacher Sandra Reese. On a typical day, Elizabeth greets students as they arrive, helps establish the tone, and then jumps into the behind-the-scenes academic work that keeps learning tight, such as grading homework while students are in religion class. But her role quickly becomes more direct: she regularly works with small groups based on student needs.
As Elizabeth explained, her small groups are built around where students are performing academically. Some need extra Spanish support, such as spelling practice, decoding, sounding out words. Other groups are more advanced, reading to her in Spanish and refining accuracy and spelling. It’s differentiated instruction in its purest form: offering students multiple pathways to achieve the same goals.
When support becomes intervention: bringing instruction down to 1:1
One of the most powerful ripple effects of this assistant structure is what it allows teachers to notice.
With additional adults teaching small groups and circulating, it becomes easier to spot a student who needs more targeted intervention before gaps widen and frustration takes over. Sometimes that extra teaching happens through the assistant teacher in an even smaller setting. Other times, students are referred to tutoring that brings instruction down to the most individualized model of all: one-to-one.
Escuela is a Title I school, which means we receive annual funds tied to the number of students who qualify for Title I, and while that funding is tied to student eligibility, our Title I tutors can assist any student in the school as needs arise.
That’s where Sharon Foster and Daisy Reyes come in, providing targeted tutoring support that complements what teachers and assistants are already doing in classrooms.
Fourth grade and beyond
By 4th and 5th grade, students are more independent but that doesn’t mean they don’t need support. Escuela meets that reality with a creative, community-minded approach: additional assistance is often provided by other teachers during the times they don’t have class or breaks. And, of course, the Title 1 Tutors step in as needed across the school, including middle school.
Clearly, the Escuela model turns “extra help” into a cultural norm. Support isn’t siloed, it’s shared, and every student benefits.
When families ask what makes Escuela different, we often point to outcomes, culture, and community. But we can also point to something practical: More teachers and smaller groups mean more individualized attention, every single day.
