Hello! My name is Ekta Panchal.
I am an intermediate teacher on the West Side of Chicago. I grew up on the North Side, and have always seen myself contributing back to the Chicago Public Schools system. I have always considered myself a self-proclaimed bookworm and have loved to share my passion for reading with my students. WITS has been a phenomenal way for me to support and enhance my students’ access to a variety of digital and physical books.
This year I had the privilege of working with the same homeroom class for the second year in a row. My students have asked multiple times, “when does WITS start again?” And, “will I have the same mentor?” I cannot list just one benefit of the WITS program because the program has helped support the enrichment of reading spaces within my classroom on so many levels. WITS has helped to create learning discovery by helping students learn about new types of books. Additionally, the mentors are the superstars that make my students feel heard and seen.
One of my best memories of WITS from last year was the sheer excitement that my students had when they discovered it was WITS day. They looked forward to sharing their life experiences in a small group setting. Whenever my classroom discusses WITS, it is always about how, “my mentor said this,” or, “my mentor said that” in an exciting manner. Perhaps the most critical benefit of WITS is its ability to bring joy to students’ reading journey.
WITS helped make reading more fun and engaging for all my students. Even with the challenges of distance learning, the WITS program has found ways to truly impact the students in my classroom. By giving to WITS, you are helping support and enhance the reading experience for our students.
Sincerely,
