Teacher Spotlight: Marisol Leal

Marisol Leal is an MLC Critical Reading and Writing instructor at MEK Review and a lifelong New Jersey resident. She received her BA in Business Administration from New Jersey City University, and her MA in Multicultural Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has been teaching in public schools for 20 years, and enjoys teaching MEK students in the summer, especially because they have a genuine desire to learn. Her hobbies include traveling and trying new foods from different cultures. 

The following is an interview between her and our content writer:

Career Path

Interviewer:  Where did you go to college? What was your original field of study?

Ms. Leal:  I went to New Jersey City University for my Bachelor’s. My Master’s and my Supervisor I did at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Interviewer:  What was your field of study for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees?

Ms. Leal:  I completed my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting. After gaining valuable experience in that field, I decided to pivot my career path and pursued a master’s degree in Multicultural Education. This transition allowed me to explore my passion for education and diversity.

Interviewer:  What inspired you to become a teacher? 

Ms. Leal:  My journey toward becoming a teacher was significantly influenced by my experience as a mother, which deepened my desire to contribute to the education of future generations. Throughout my academic career, I frequently assisted my peers by tutoring them in challenging subjects. Additionally, I had the privilege of supporting students who were new to the country and spoke Spanish, serving as their translator in the classroom when an ESL teacher was unavailable. This experience not only reinforced my commitment to education but also highlighted the importance of fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Interviewer:  How long have you been teaching?

Ms. Leal:  I’ve been teaching for a total of twenty years. I spent eleven years teaching in an inner-city school, and for the past nine years, I’ve been teaching in Hillsdale.

Teaching at MEK

Interviewer:  Do you only teach at MEK in the summer?

Ms. Leal:  In the summer, yes. This is my first year teaching at MEK.

Interviewer:  What brought you to MEK?  

Ms. Leal:  I was drawn to teach at MEK because it offers a unique environment during the summer that focuses on enrichment rather than compulsory learning. The students here are genuinely eager to learn, which fosters a more flexible and enjoyable teaching experience.

Interviewer:  What is your favorite part of teaching at MEK? 

Ms. Leal:  I appreciate the enthusiasm and eagerness of the students at MEK. It’s inspiring to see how they actively seek out enrichment opportunities and demonstrate a genuine willingness to learn. Unlike in traditional public school settings, they approach new challenges with less apprehension, which fosters a more dynamic and engaging learning environment. Their openness to trying new things makes teaching here particularly rewarding.

Interviewer:  Has anything about teaching at MEK surprised you?

Ms. Leal:  One aspect that has truly impressed me is the level of rigor in the program. While I expected a challenging environment, I have been pleasantly surprised by the students’ resilience and dedication. They tackle the demanding workload—submitting 13 essays in just 7 weeks—without complaint.

To put this into perspective, I typically assign that volume of writing over the span of half a year. Seeing them accomplish in 7 weeks what usually takes me 5 months is nothing short of remarkable. It really highlights their commitment to their education, and I find it incredibly inspiring!

Interviewer:  And these are 5th graders, are they not?

Ms. Leal:  Yes, the 5th graders and the 7th graders. But even more impressive with the 5th graders because they’re reading short stories and articles and then writing a literary analysis of it, at that young age.

Working with Students

Interviewer:  You’re teaching critical reading to 5th graders… Are there times when they don’t particularly enjoy the material? How do you keep them engaged/interested?

Ms. Leal:  Teaching critical reading to 5th graders can indeed be challenging, however there are several strategies I use to keep them interested. I provide a lot of background knowledge, visuals, and try to have it connect to them personally, or provide personal anecdotes. For example, we read an article this summer that talked about refugees and they didn’t really know what a refugee was. So, I provided visuals from some of their parents’ native counties. I provided a visual from mine. I gave them personal anecdotes about how my father and my husband were refugees to this country. Providing this background knowledge allowed them to better comprehend the article when they read it. They had some type of relation to it. That personal connection is very important.

Interviewer:  Why do reading students write so many essays?

Ms. Leal:  Reading students are required to write the essays as part of their learning process for several reasons: to know they can synthesize the information, develop their critical thinking skills, apply their annotation skills, and build confidence.  It becomes second nature to them, by the end of the semester. Then they definitely feel more comfortable.

Interviewer:  In your 7th grade Writing Class, what types of essays are your students writing? Do they enjoy some types more than others?

Ms. Leal:  They’ve been working on expository, persuasive, personal narrative and we’re doing one descriptive at the end. From what I’ve seen, they enjoy the personal narratives the most because these essays give them the freedom to express themselves creatively.

Interviewer:  What are some of the more unique prompts they’ve been given this summer?

Ms. Leal:  In the writing class, one that stood out was, “Do you ever think that a hairstyle is more than just a hairstyle?” They were like, “What?!” Only one student chose to actually write about a hairstyle and the others chose to write about clothing because they could provide some more details. I told them that if they couldn’t think of writing about hair being more than just hair, they could write about clothing being more than just clothing. At least there, they could talk about personal expression, colors meaning something, and the comfort and ease of wearing the clothes.

Confidence and Skill-building

Interviewer:  How do you help students build confidence in their skills?

Ms. Leal:  I always start with positive feedback first, highlighting what the students did well. I encourage students to try new things, emphasizing that it is a vital part of learning. I ensure that my tone is supportive rather than reprimanding. This way they understand that my goal is to guide them, not criticize them. I provide constructive criticism by framing it in a positive way.

Interviewer:  What do you think are the most important benefits of daily reading?

Ms. Leal:  Daily reading exposes them to building a broader vocabulary. It helps in building their background knowledge of the world. Reading fiction allows them to  relate to other real-life experiences or concepts. I think the most important thing is building that love for reading which begins to feel natural even if it’s just 15-20 minutes per day. It can lead to thought-provoking conversations or discussions about what you just read.

Current Read & Book Recommendations

Interviewer:  What was the last book you read?

Ms. Leal:  The last book I read was Pachinko. I love reading historical fiction. It was very interesting because it gave me insight on the complicated history I didn’t know existed between Korea and Japan.

Interviewer:  Do you have any book recommendations for your students?

Ms. Leal:  There are several books I do with students during the school year, such as Number the Stars, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Egypt’s Game, Crispin (when they are taught medieval history). I enjoy having them read historical fiction because it gives them a view of past events, or outlooks they might not be familiar with.

Free Time

Interviewer:  What are some things you like to do outside of MEK?

Ms. Leal:  Traveling and discovering new restaurants. I like tasting and experiencing foods from different cultures.

Interviewer:  Do you have a favorite vacation you’ve taken?

Ms. Leal:  My favorite vacation is usually relaxing in Maine. While we tend to travel outside of the country a lot, college expenses have limited that so we stay in the US. When my son was younger, we would go to Europe,Mexico, or the Caribbean.

Favorite Restaurant

Interviewer:  What is your favorite restaurant?

Ms. Leal:  My favorite restaurant is Junoon in NYC. It’s a great Indian restaurant, the only one I’ve found comparable to those in London. I mean, I love Indian food and I do enjoy a casual take-out spot by my house called Bombay Hut. But Junoon is my favorite. It’s a splurge restaurant, but try it during restaurant week, you’ll get a three course meal for about $50 and their food is amazing!