Biography - Aida I Rivera

My name is Aida I. Leon Rivera. I am presently living in New York. I was living in West Palm Beach, Florida. I am an adjunct in the Department of Education and College Success. Prior to coming to New York I was an adjunct at Palm Beach Community College, in West Palm Beach, where I taught Reading and TESOL courses. In Miami, Florida, I was the Coordinator of TESOL Programs and an Associate Professor of Education at Florida Memorial College, now Florida Memorial University. For five years I taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Reading, TESOL, and Supervision and Administration. During that time the college applied for accreditation and I participated in the insanity of the transition that the college underwent to become a university. I was also blessed in participating in the school’s request and ultimately the State seal of approval for accreditation of our undergraduate and graduate Education Programs.

Prior to moving to Florida, I had an extensive career in New York within the New York colleges and the city’s public school system. During my tenure I served as the Deputy Chair of the School of General Studies and Director of Professional Programs, Coordinator of Education at Touro College, adjunct at Manhattanville and Boricua College, District Director of Instruction and Professional Development, Supervising Principal, Principal, Assistant Principal, and Teacher in Districts 7 and 32, in the boroughs of Bronx and Brooklyn.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education, Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College, Master of Arts in Bilingual Education from Hofstra University, a Professional Diploma in Reading, and PHD in Reading, Language and Cognition, also from Hofstra University.

Additionally, I have written three Educational Handbooks. Exito en la Lectura con Cloze Levels A&B, Berrents Publication, and Project Win Handbook, District 32. I have also presented at a number of conferences in the States.

I have two children, my daughter, who is following her mother’s footsteps, teacher and now an assistant principal, and my son, who is in the private business sector. My two granddaughters scream out Daddy’s home, when my son in law, who is also a teacher and adjunct in one of the colleges here, opens the door.

In my spare time I enjoy listening to audio books, dancing, listening to music, reading, watching TV, a good CSI episode will do it for me, and playing with my granddaughters. I am beginning to get back to my indoor planting, but it is very difficult to grow plants in the winter.

For those students that their second language is English and that are beginning to learn the language, I would like to share a secret with them. When I came to the States, I did not speak English, I came armed with my first language, Spanish. My message to all students is that, if you want it bad enough, it could be done. Good luck.

See you on line.