Naomi Levine Sporer

Naomi Levine Sporer is a Cañada College alumna and aspiring teacher. Naomi shares, “Every time I help children learn and I see them master a new concept that I am teaching it makes me very happy and proud of myself for being part of their learning experience.” Another motivating factor for Naomi is when her students say, “Teacher Naomi!” When this happens in the classroom, Naomi gets an amazing feeling that she is working the right job. Naomi explains she has been fortunate enough to have had several opportunities to work with children. 

 

 

An example of this is Naomi’s participation in a summer school program called Challenge School. Challenge School is a summer program that was created to uplift children with learning disabilities. Naomi shares, “When I was in 7th grade this was my first official job. There I worked as a teacher’s assistant and managed younger children. I loved working at this summer program and I gained many new skills that will help me in the future when I become a teacher.” Another example of Naomi’s dedication to her profession is her following job as a teacher’s assistant at her synagogue. This opportunity allowed Naomi to learn from different teachers and begin developing her own teaching style in the classroom. 

Because Naomi aspired to become an early childhood educator, seeing different styles of teaching opened her eyes to the numerous ways she can engage with children in the classroom. Naomi also worked at her synagogue’s preschool as a teacher’s assistant during the weekend and holy day services. Naomi expresses gratitude, as being able to work while studying at Cañada was an incredible experience. While Naomi was taking her child development classes, she could simultaneously use the skills she learned in her classes and apply them to the children at the preschool.

One of the biggest challenges Naomi faced during her academic journey was her own struggle with a learning disability. Naomi shares, “When I was younger I thought I was not smart enough and would refuse to ask for help when it was offered to me. As I got older I realized that my learning disability made me stronger and I am now proud of all I’ve achieved in my life.” During her college journey, Naomi felt supported by the Cañada Promise Scholarship program and the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The Promise Scholars Program provides incoming, full-time students financial and academic support for two-three years. The program includes textbook assistance, food or transportation vouchers, dedicated counseling, and career support. The program is open to degree or certificate-seeking first-time college students who can commit to attending Cañada full-time (12 units minimum per semester, with 15 units highly encouraged). The DRC ensures access to equitable educational opportunities and provides instructional support to all students with functional limitations. The DRC’s mission is to support students and promote their development of the necessary skills to become independent global citizens.

Through her involvement in this Cañada program, Naomi has had a wonderful experience with the supportive counselors who have answered all of her questions in regards to transferring and the overall process. An example of this is Naomi’s counselor, who helped her meticulously look over her California State University application before submitting it. Naomi’s counselor has also helped her these past two years by ensuring she was fulfilling all the requirements necessary for graduation and ensuring all her classes were transferable to a university.

Naomi is involved at Cañada College through the Educators Now Club. The Educators Now Club focuses on the importance of positive child development and how educating children at a young age helps their growth for the rest of their life. This year, the Educators Now Club wrote and published a children’s book about how to respond to COVID-19. The book is called The Adventures of the Mighty-Five, Fighting Corvin, and The Creeps, and it follows the story of five inspiring kids who promote safe behavior and emotional support during a challenging pandemic. The process of developing and sharing this book has made Naomi realize that she could be a part of something incredible. Naomi undoubtedly feels proud of the hard work, talent, and dedication of her fellow club members.

Naomi advises students with similar goals to herself to, “Not be afraid to ask for help and make connections with people in your communities. Being part of a club at Cañada has helped me get out of my comfort zone and try new things. Because of this, I have cultivated lifelong friendships with my club members as well as with my advisors. Remember to get involved and contribute in any way you can!”