Rebecca Estock is an intervention and language support specialist at Connell Elementary. Her responsibilities broadly reach over 60 percent of the 580+ students attending the rural school.
Rebecca organizes all reading intervention programs from kindergarten through 6th grade, trains a minimum of 20 paraeducators, and maintains weekly training sessions focused on excellence in instruction. She engages in professional learning communities with the certified classroom teachers and co-directs the response to intervention school-wide plan with the support of the school principal. For students that require extra support to meet grade level standards, Rebecca organizes and manages before school, after school, and summer school programs.
In addition to the support programs and interventions, Rebecca also has a busy teaching schedule. She believes that effective teaching involves many pieces. She utilizes multi-sensory methods and strategies to build language and cognitive skill. Rebecca has built a classroom that invites learning and respects the unique process that each student journeys through. Rebecca is a strong advocate for student growth and has deep interest in helping students be successful. She is a compassionate and powerful resource for students and families that need support in school. She provides training at Parent Advocate Meetings for bilingual families, is Nationally Board Certified with an emphasis in Exceptional Needs, is a member of the International Dyslexia Association, and is trained as a Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) leader. She has been involved in school implementation of PBIS and created the school-wide Response to Intervention implementation plan. Rebecca has been involved in district curriculum adoption committees for math, reading, and science.
Students at Connell Elementary see daily the commitment that Rebecca has for every learner and subsequently they have a deeper desire to be their best. Teachers express heartfelt gratitude for the effort and expertise she puts forth in everything that she does.
“Alongside an impressive resume, Rebecca possesses a skill that cannot always be learned,” says Principal Amy Garza. “She has the innate ability to love her students unconditionally despite the challenges they may present. She is a positive and calming voice when they are upset, a warm hug when they are sad, and a big high five when they make growth – even if it is minimal. She works endlessly to provide the students of our school with the support they need to be successful both academically and social emotionally.”
