Echo Spring 2023 - 20

By Megan Rogers ('22 & '23)
S
ometimes we see such potential in people, we just can't help but
get involved.
LBC Early Childhood Education graduate and third-grade teacher
Tenia Brown ('22) talked about what this looks like for her students.
" That's what wakes me up every day, " she shared. " They have the potential
to do great things, and whether I see results now or later, they have so
much to give the world, and I want their voices to be heard. "
Last fall, Brown began her first year at Harlem Park Elementary/
Middle School, part of the Baltimore City Public School
System, and the opportunity has been a joy. Through a
Teach for America two-year program, Brown works with a
mentor who supports her during this first year as she is
presented with various leadership opportunities.
These opportunities have proven valuable as
Brown prepares for her future work with
students. Of the 280-plus students at Harlem
Park, 95% live at or below the national poverty
threshold, yet Brown has found unique
ways to support her students despite this
challenging reality.
" Making the impossible possible in every
way, " she shared. " Not putting labels or
titles on students like 'they can't learn.'
Don't count people out. It's not that they
don't know how; [it's that] they don't have
people pouring into them. "
Brown's heart to pour into these students and help them reach
their potential is what wakes her up each day. She knows that
research shows that students who are not reading on grade level
by third grade are much more likely to end up in poverty and
drop out of high school. As she meets students at the beginning
of their third-grade year, she loves the challenge of helping them
grow as readers.
Brown shared about one student in particular who put forth a
lot of effort but truly struggled to read. Entering her classroom
at the beginning of third grade, he was reading at a first-grade
level. Though it would be easy to have doubts about his ability to
ever read well, Brown saw this as an opportunity for growth. And
her dedication paid off. The school's mid-year data showed that
20 ECHO
Echo Spring 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Echo Spring 2023
