Teacher Spotlight: Join Ms. Espino in Spreading a Love for Reading! 

At Indiana Digital Learning School (INDLS), our team members are passionate about fostering an excitement for reading. We recognize that beyond helping students develop essential academic skills, books can support students in learning about new perspectives, feeling understood, and understanding how to communicate with others. 

Ms. Espino is a high school English teacher at INDLS, where she teaches Gothic literature as a credit recovery course to help students obtain more credits to graduate on time. In class, Ms. Espino helps students find books that excite them and presents reading as an opportunity to explore new worlds. Beyond the classroom, Ms. Espino works to support literacy in her community by regularly visiting garage sales and thrift stores to collect books to fill Little Free Libraries. 

Ms. Espino also works to create access to books for international students in underserved communities. On her first trip to the British Virgin Islands, the INDLS shirt she was wearing sparked a conversation with local children who were curious about the school and her experience with teaching. She learned from them that Hurricane Irma had destroyed their school and they had not been able to rebuild the library since, leaving them without access to books. 

“I realized through that conversation how much we take for granted here,” said Ms. Espino. “I know from working with students at INDLS that being able to choose from a variety of books is what inspires students to discover a love for reading and build their imagination. I knew I wanted to help the students on the island have that same opportunity.” 

The following year, Ms. Espino returned with 127 books to help fill the island school’s library. She sought out support from friends, family, and fellow INDLS staff members to collect a variety of books for students ages 3 through 12 to encourage an early love for reading and packed them into three suitcases to bring on her 13-hour trip. 

It will come as no surprise to Ms. Espino’s INDLS students and colleagues that she has formed a special bond with the students on the island. As she does in her INDLS classroom, she connected with them by sharing how reading has shaped her own life and helped her find an escape. In the future, she hopes to move to the island permanently to continue working with the students. 

Ms. Espino is now hosting a book drive ahead of her next trip to the island later this year. The drive is accepting contributions now through Oct. 31. Visit Scholastic to take part in helping to build back the school’s library! 

Back to Blog