MEET MR. TRIL

Education Specialist

INTRODUCING ME

Educating the Next Generation

Valentin Tril has always been an educator - absorbing knowledge and re-distributing it - even long before becoming a credentialed teacher by the state of California. Tril has always had a passion for learning and discovering new things, challenging others and expanding their points of view and helping others attain that which should be accessible to all - knowledge.

Valentin's philosophy is simple: all individuals are capable of learning regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and/or learning capabilities. We all just have different ways of learning. And the challenge is for our education system to catch up and accommodate to all learning styles so that all learners can find success and growth.

Valentin has been working in K-12 Education since his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, working with programs that taught democratic engagement to students around Oakland, California. After completing their B.A. in Political Science, Valentin obtained a Mild-Moderate Credential in Special Education working in middle schools and high schools around the East Los Angeles community. Currently, Valentin works as an education specialist at a Learn4Life school, Desert Sands Charter High School in Lancaster.

Tril works hard to balance the many aspects in being an effective educator. Valentin works hard to get to know his students holistically, to adjust instruction and to connect them with the resources they may need.

Valentin also understands that the work in the classroom is only scratching the surface at addressing one of the many broken systems in our country. For that reason, Mr. Tril finds it incredibly important to continue to learn and grow, not only as an educator in a classroom, but as an advocate and ally to all disadvantaged learners.

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CSTP GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

PRESENT LEVELS

INITIAL GOAL + REFLECTION

I initially set out to "create a rigorous learning environment with high expectations and appropriate support for all students (2.4); establish and articulate goals for student learning (4.2); plan instruction that incorporates appropriate strategies to meet the learning needs of all students (4.4); and manage professional responsibilities to maintain motivation and commitment to all students (6.6)." Overall, I was successful in reaching my goal and was able to reach new lengths in my career as an educator. Not only was I able to maintain all my paperwork as an independent studies teacher in compliance, but I was able to push my students to achieve more and advocate for themselves in an informed manner.

AREAS OF STRENGTH + IMPROVEMNT

My areas of strength on this journey were effective planning as well as fostering a positive learning environment where students feel empowered to ask questions, set goals, and advocate for themselves on their academic journey. I have figured out different ways to not only engage students but to encourage them to get ahead and stay ahead. I have become pretty good at meeting students where they are at and helping them along the way while also teaching them invaluable skills and lessons along the way. One area of improvement would be to continue increasing graduation rates and credit completion rates in my new setting as I did in the previous setting since I am in a fairly new position.

HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED/WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

This year, I am most proud of the rapport I have built with my students, regardless of the location. I moved from a Learn4Life site in East LA to one in Lancaster in February and although I was able to get to work with my caseload right away, I was worried about building the level of rapport I had with my students in East LA with my new students in Lancaster. Fortunately, I have been using the systems that I built for myself at East LA and brought some of the warmth that their community embraced me with to Lancaster, and I have found that I am beginning to have an impact on my new caseload. I am proud of my ability to connect with students, to meet them where they're at and to continue encouraging and facilitating learning.

IMPACT ON STUDENT SUCCESS

One example of student success is one of my students, ER. ER came onto my caseload in the last school year 2021-2022, but I saw a vast improvement in his credit completion rate, as well as his self-advocacy. At first, we would schedule a lot of meetings to work on credits and he relied a lot on my help to get him through the end. However, as I started centralizing accommodations, setting higher standards and empowering my students to work independently, I saw that ER began to seek out answers on his own, utilizing me as an additional resource on his educational journey. ER was able to ask for his credits, ask teachers to provide accommodations, and had clear goals about his credit completion rate. Throughout my time working with ER, I saw improvements in his NWEA scores as well as Lexile range; I also saw incredible amounts of personal growth. ER was one of the first students I began to push to higher levels and I have used my work with him as a model for what I can achieve as an educator in an independent study model for all students.