Troy District 30-C bilingual teacher ‘is very aware of what her kids need’

A bilingual second grade teacher at Troy Craughwell Elementary School in Joliet makes it her mission to tailor her teaching methods to each student.

Sandra Alamzan said she started her bilingual teaching career about 16 years ago at Joliet Public Schools District 86 and then came to Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C three years ago; she currently teaches second grade.

Alamzan said she takes teaching “very seriously” and loves that “this profession never gets boring.”

“There are no students that are the same and no two schools that are the same,” Almazan said.

Maggie Lopez, principal of Craughwell Elementary School in Joliet, said Almazan is “a fantastic teacher” who delivers instruction in a way that serves each student’s academic and linguistic needs.

“She is very aware of what her kids need,” Lopez said, “and she builds structures in the classroom so they can get what they need.”

“Teaching is where my experience comes from – and where my passions are as well,” Almazan said. “Ever since I was little, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.”

—  Sandra Alamzan, Troy Craughwell Elementary School

Lopez said Almazan also is a leader on Craughwell’s bilingual team and continues to “elevate everyone’s practices. At the same time, Almazan is so humble, she never takes credit for her accomplishments, Lopez added.

“She always wants the program to be strong and the kids recognized for their accomplishments,” Lopez said. “Often when we share about all the great work she’s doing, she turns it back and says, ‘It’s the strength of the team.’”

Troy uses a transitional bilingual program, Almazan said. This means during kindergarten, first and second grades, teachers lay the foundation in the native language and then bridge that to English, she said.

“They naturally pick up on the similarities between the languages,” Almazan said.

Students gradually transition to English, she said. By third grade, all instruction is done in English, Almazan said.

“I definitely think I try to be as enthusiastic as possible to bring the learning to life,” Almazan said. “Being excited about the two languages kind of motivates them to learn it [English] as well.”

Almazan had a different experience when growing up in Lockport, which she called “the best of both worlds,” since she lived and learned both of her cultures and languages.

“Teaching is where my experience comes from – and where my passions are as well,” Almazan said. “Ever since I was little, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.”

The youngest of four children, Almazan learned English at school through her classwork and spoke Spanish socially at home, she said. Alamzan also said she learned English from her older siblings.

“And so, I got the best of both worlds,” she said.

Today, Almazan said she’s able to teach parents “the importance of being bilingual and being able to speak two languages.”

She also “takes great pride” in hearing stories on how her students are applying their lessons beyond the classroom. For instance, some of her students teach English to their younger siblings, too.

“I think that’s amazing,” Almazan said. “They’re becoming little mentors, as well.”

Almazan said she takes time each year to reflect and refine her skills “because you never stop learning.” She also participates in social media groups to learn new information, see what approaches and strategies other teachers are using, and to become more trauma-informed.

“I want to have more tricks up my sleeve to make sure every child is socially and emotionally ready to learn,” Almazan said.

Finally, Almazan hopes to inspire students who might wish to teach one day.

“I just want that student to say, ‘Hey, she looks like me, sounds like me and her story is similar to mine,’” Almazan said. “‘I can do it, too.’”