Woodland Prairie Elementary teacher Alejandro Delgadillo. (Carlos Guerrero / Daily Democrat)
From the moment he experienced his first cubicle, Alejandro Delgadillo knew that he wanted no part of the traditional office life.
In high school, Delgadillo enrolled in the Regional Occupational Program or ROP. ROP courses are designed to provide students with quality career technical education and hands-on experience. Delgadillo chose a course particularly focused on office occupations.
“I was stuck in a little cubicle and on top of me there was a blinking light, a horrible blinking light,” Delgadillo remembered. “I was not even close to a window with natural sunlight and that made me very depressed. I thought if this is going to be my life when I get to college and graduate and then I’m going to be in a cubicle, I don’t want that.”
Delgadillo quickly began researching careers that would not have him stuck behind the desk all day. Originally, he set his sights on becoming a doctor, but when he began tutoring kids he pivoted towards education.
“I was working with an English learner,” Delgadillo said. “It was a kid who was a newcomer to this country and knew very little English and for me to be able to provide that help to that kid made a huge difference for that kid and because of that I think it ignited that interest in education and I’m still here.”
Delgadillo was born in Jalisco, Mexico and was brought to the U.S. when he was 10 years old. His family originally landed in Southern California before moving to Georgia and eventually settling in Northern California.
He attended Sacramento State where he received his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies. Five years after graduating, he went back to Sac State to earn his master’s degree in multicultural education with an emphasis in social studies, science and English.
Before becoming a fourth grade dual immersion teacher at Woodland Prairie Elementary, Delgadillo taught for 10 years in Winters. Now in his 18th year of teaching, Delgadillo has done a little bit of everything, teaching all levels between second and sixth grade.
“I love what I do. I think I do a good job with the kids,” Delgadillo said. “I connect really well with the community and I am a strong believer of the multicultural program here in Woodland. We have an amazing program.”
Delgadillo said he loves teaching the younger students as “this is the age where you can actually make a huge impact in their lives.”
“You can plant a whole bunch of little tiny seeds in their little brains when you’re in the elementary level and then later on you see the fruits of those seeds as they grow up,” Delgadillo emphasized.
As a dual immersion teacher, Delgadillo helps to prepare students for the future by empowering them with the ability to listen, speak, read and write in English and Spanish. Not only does dual immersion promote biliteracy and bilingualism, the program also encourages students to develop an appreciation for different cultures. Delgadillo noted that he has even been fortunate enough to work with students who were trilingual and quadrilingual.
“It is wonderful,” Delgadillo said about the dual immersion program. “It is very well supported by research and it’s been researched that when you support a child’s primary language their acquisition for their second language becomes easier.
“So many of these kids come from migrant families, very hard working families. Families obviously want their kid to do well, but they don’t want to sacrifice something like their language and culture, since those go side by side.”
Principal of Woodland Prairie Elementary Kelly Schevenin called Delgadillo a “leader” in the dual immersion program, praising him for his commitment to mentoring new dual immersion teachers to ensure the growth and success not only of the program but of his peers too.
“Alejandro Delgadillo is a dedicated and passionate dual immersion teacher who embodies excellence in education,” Schevenin said. “His enthusiasm for teaching is infectious, inspiring both students and colleagues alike. With high standards and unwavering dedication, Alejandro brings out the best in each of his students, leaving a lasting impact on their educational journey.”
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is also on Woodland Prairie’s leadership team and School Site Council and has introduced innovative initiatives like the Pioneer Days for fourth graders, offering students the opportunity for hands-on learning and historical immersion.
“When we cover the gold rush and pioneer days in that time period of the 1800s, I wanted to make it even more memorable and something that kids would actually remember,” Delgadillo explained. “At my other school in Winters, we used to do Pioneer Days where we would dress up like a pioneer and would have activities of the era like butter making and tortilla making. When I moved to Woodland, they had nothing like that here.”
When Delgadillo proposed the idea to his team, most of the other teachers weren’t quite on board but Delgadillo decided to forge ahead on his own anyways. However once the teachers saw how immersive and fun the event was, others joined in making the event a huge success for the school and its fourth grade students.
Outside the classroom, Delgadillo has an 11-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. In his free time, he enjoys traveling to new places, working out, gardening and watching movies with his family.
With the end of the school year quickly approaching, Delgadillo said he hopes his students leave him with the confidence “to question their surroundings all the time.”
“I want them to question what they’re being taught and why they’re being taught whatever is in front of them,” Delgadillo said. “Why are we doing this? Whatever they’re learning, is that applicable in their lives? Here in the classroom, I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been so successful with many of my students because I try to make it applicable to their own lives. It’s about making that connection with them.”
