Yáskara Ortiz Ramírez (Bilingual Education)

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 6 - Issue 2 - December 2022

Adjunct Assistant Professor Yáskara Ortiz Ramírez holds a B.A. in Psychology and English from Hunter College and an M.S. Ed. in Bilingual Childhood Education from The City College of New York. She started working at CCNY this Fall 2022.

Professor Ortiz Ramírez is a career changer. She used to work in the corporate world, but after 16 years in that field, she still felt unfulfilled. That is when she decided to pursue a graduate degree. She says, “That changed my life. I became a dual language teacher in New York City at the age of 33. I was an elementary school teacher for seven years, where I taught kindergarten and third grade dual language (English and Spanish) classes throughout my tenure.” In 2021, due to the pandemic, Professor Ortiz Ramírez decided that she wanted to be closer to home and joined the Newark Board of Education. This is her second year as a fifth grade bilingual teacher with the NBOE. Professor Ortiz Ramírez is currently certified in Childhood Education, Bilingual Education, and TESOL in both New York and New Jersey.

When asked what it means to her to be involved in the education of pre-service teachers, Professor Ortiz Ramírez says that, being able to give back to the institution that molded her into the teacher that she is today is very fulfilling. “As teachers, we are lifelong learners, and I truly love sharing what I know and what I have learned throughout the years in this field with future teachers,” she says. In addition, she loves being able to guide them and become someone they can always reach out to. “My commitment to my students—elementary and college students alike—goes beyond our time together; they have me for a lifetime.”

Professor Ortiz Ramírez teaches EDCE 45600 (Teaching Content Using English and an Additional Language). When describing her experience teaching this course, she says, “Not only is the content engaging, but it is material that every single teacher will use throughout their career, regardless of how many years they are in service.” She adds that the group currently taking this course with her is also a big factor in how much she is enjoying teaching it. “I have an amazing group of 17 intelligent and inquisitive women who make coming to class every week a true joy.”