Meet our fabulous science teacher Rachana Patel! It's Teacher Appreciation Week and we couldn't be more grateful. Especially in these challenging days, we are thankful for the passion, talent and dedication of Miss Patel and the whole Bronx Letters teaching team. Our students are lucky!
I was happy to have had the opportunity to speak with her this week, given her busy schedule— to learn more about her personally and get an up-to-the-minute read on how on-line learning is going for our community, now in its 8th week. Read more of our discussion here. -Kristina Bicher, Executive Director
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Our very beloved RACHANA PATEL misses her students: “Being with them in person gave me more motivation than I realized!”
This Long Island native is in her sixth year at BAL and currently teaches Living Environment to 9th graders as well as Regents prep for grades 10-12.
Echoing accounts by other staff and teachers, BAL hit the ground running when schools were closed in March, thanks to the smarts and organizational skills of Erin Garry, our principal. “That first Sunday, we were so ready to go,” said Rachana.
As the weeks have progressed, teachers have been tweaking such things as the optimal amount of classroom screen time and the right mix and format of classroom assignments. They’ve gotten better at planning and how to maximize the effective use of technology.
What’s key to BAL’s success is teamwork. Rachana talked about how the teachers regularly share best practices and how their interactions are structures. The school has set up grade teams, department teams and social-emotional oriented teams that are in regular contact so that the full range of students’ needs are addressed.
What have been the surprises? Says Rachana, “Remote learning has taught us a lot. Our teaching practices were always innovative in order to reach our students. But now everyone has to raise their game, be more 21st century.”
While BAL students have had foundation-funded laptops for several years, they weren’t always fully utilized. Students have now gained more confidence and familiarity with their devices which will persist and can be built upon going forward.
What drew her to teaching? As a biology and psychology major in college, Rachana was planning on going to medical school. But after a stint with Teach for America, she fell in love with teaching. “I love science,” Rachana said, “but my passion is for teaching-- interacting with the kids, connecting.” Right away, she seemed to have a knack for behavior management, even with middle schoolers which can be a tricky age. Over her career, she has taught math, biology and forensics to middle and high school students
I asked her what makes Bronx Letters so special and she was quick to answer, “a sense of community and collaboration. We all have each other’s backs, personally. And it’s not like that in a lot of schools. Bronx Letters feels like a family.”
