Miriam Sandoval, a bilingual paraprofessional at Westerville North High School, recently received her Master of Arts in Education (MAE) from Otterbein University. She also had the distinction of having her Capstone Project published in the Summer 2018 edition of the Journal of Teacher Initiated Research (JTIR). Capstone Projects are designed to consolidate the various parts of the MAE program into a meaningful body of work. The title of her piece is Teaching Academic Vocabulary in Math Classrooms to a Diverse Group of English Language Learners: An Exploration of Best Teaching Practices. JTIR is a peer reviewed, online journal for teachers and teacher educators designed to advance knowledge, theory, and quality of teaching and learning. Contributors include Otterbein graduate students and faculty, as well as invited guests. The overall objective is to advance knowledge, theory, and quality of teaching and learning. Readers and contributors include classroom teachers, teacher educators, and administrators.
Sandoval is a passionate teacher who enjoys helping ELL (English language learners) students to acquire the English language, become familiar with the American culture so they can thrive in school, and become successful global citizens. She develops strong connections and relationships with ELL students and parents because she is a second language learner herself. As such, she understands the student experience when learning a new language and the frustration that sometimes this experience brings. Sandoval believes that teaching academic language to ELLs is a critical component in their learning, as it will ensure students effectively understand the content being taught. Sandoval was born and raised in Lima, Peru where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Education from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru. She worked as an elementary teacher in a bilingual school for almost four years before moving to Ohio in 1998. She currently holds Ohio teaching licenses in Multi-age Spanish, Early Childhood Education and a TESOL endorsement.