Teacher & Student Reflections

“Thank you for creating and sharing this amazing program. I encourage teachers and administrators to take advantage of what Bridges offers. Together we are making a difference in the lives of these incredible kids!”  – Heidi Lloyd

“When you give me some work I say, I can’t do it. It’s so hard. Last week I can do it for myself. I learned more English & how to read, speak & write faster.  I feel happy & comfortable. I want to tell others that I know more.” – Student’s reflection on his Bridges portfolio

Teacher & Student Reflections

“I am so happy I was connected to the Bridges curriculum. It is comprehensive, accompanied by wonderful support from the Bridges team. Not only are my students benefiting from the lessons that build on each other so beautifully, but I am growing professionally as an educator, learning from the Bridges team throughout the implementation.”  – Dana Cole

“This year I learned how to use vocabulary sheets and transition words. Next year I am going to try harder to use more English.” – Student reflection

Teacher Reflections

Bridges and Brentwood worked together to  facilitate an intervisitation at Brentwood High School. Here is what other Bridges teachers said after observing Nafiye’s GRW lesson: 

“Nafiye is my hero. She sets the expectation that everyone participates, and students do! It is very helpful for me to see teacher leaders ‘in action’.” 

“I love watching Nafiye teach!” 

“Nafiye’s students were able to incorporate transition words without her prompting the students. That practice was set up already. It was awesome!” 

Teacher Reflections

Katherine was one of the first teachers to pilot the Bridges Spanish HLA curriculum a few years ago. She explains, “Thanks to Bridges, my students have more self-confidence when reading and writing. They even apply what they learn in HLA to what they’re learning in their ENL classes since the majority of the skills and protocols go hand in hand between both courses.”

Bridges and Brentwood worked together to  facilitate an intervisitation at Brentwood High School. Here’s what a few of the teachers who attended had to say:

“I feel inspired to get to the level of the classes we have seen, and to become as experienced as these wonderful teachers at Brentwood!”

“I was very excited with all the teaching + learning that took place…I would like to thank Bridges and especially the Brentwood School District to have given us the opportunity to learn about this program + allowing us to visit your classes.”

Teacher & Student Reflections

“The Bridges Math Curriculum has not only given my students the content math area skills that they need, I think it has given them so much more. The units have given my students confidence in math and prepared them for high school.” – Karen Dakin

“Aprendí mucho a cómo resolver problemas de división o fracciones, multiplicación.” 

“I learned a lot about how to solve problems of division, fractions and multiplication.” – Student reflection

“En el pre-assessment entendía un poco, empecé en 27%  y en el post-assessment tuve 86%. Pienso que progrese mucho.” – Student reflection

“In the pre-assessment I understood a little, I started at 27% and in the post-assessment I had 86%. I think I progressed a lot.” – Student reflection

For a full video of Karen’s students, click here.

Student Reflections

“Realmente, me ayuda cuando mi maestras de matemáticas viendo cuando hacen ejemplos.” 

“Really, my math teachers help me most when I see them work out the examples.”

“Pay attention because this class is very important. It will help you a lot next year when you are in Algebra like me.”

Student Reflections

“Ms. Ivonne explains words to me that I don’t know and translates them for me.”

“She gives me help when I don’t understand what to read.” 

See here for innovating with song lyrics – finding evidence

Teacher & Student Reflections

“Teaching the Bridges curriculum is one of the biggest challenges I have taken on, but it has been so rewarding to see the progress in my students.” – Salena Feit

“I feel proud because in the second test, I can write in English and that means that I am learning little by little. I know that it is a bit difficult for me to write about water, but I do everything I can.” – Student reflection on Unit 3 pre & post assessments

Teacher & Administrator Reflections

“I appreciate all the constructive feedback and recommendations. There are so many SLIFE students at the high school and middle school and my goal is to better serve each and every one of my students with the instructional support that they need and deserve.” – Beatriz Caban

“[The coaching report helped me to] know what to do for next steps with all the teachers, and understand how the coaching work is organized around a goal.” – Michelle Pineda, Director of Bilingual Education & World Languages

Teacher Reflections

 “Before the Rochester City School District started using the Bridges curriculum we had nothing for our SIFE students, let alone for SIFE with developing literacy.” SIFE were placed in mainstream Stand-alone ENL classes with other students who had higher levels of education in their home countries, but found learning another language more difficult than their peers.

Bridges math, ENL and ENL/ELA helps my students bridge the gaps in where they are when they come to us, and where they need to be in order to be successful in high school. By mid-year my students start feeling confident in using what they have learned with their Bridges class in their bilingual classes and monolingual classes. They are excited when they can carry on conversations with their peers in English. The transformation from where they were when they first started, to the end of the school year, is amazing to see.” – Kyla Harris