Hali Metelak has taught English in the Los Angeles Unified School District for seven years. For the past six years she has taught Language!, an intensive reading intervention program, to at-risk m
iddle school students who scored at or below the 20th percentile on California's state standardized reading tests. Her students, and their continued success, are the motivation behind her desire to teach.
From 2004-06, Hali also volunteered her time, teaching writing to incarcerated youth in Los Angeles' Barry J. Nidhorf Juvenile Hall, through the non-profit organization, InsideOUT Writers. During this time, she assisted in the development of a creative writing curriculum for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).
Hali received her Bachelor's degree in English and her Master's degree in Secondary English Education from California State University, Northridge. She was a featured teacher in the 2006-07 training video, Language! in the Classroom, and in 2007 was named Walmart Teacher of the Year. Today, Hali is working toward National Board Certification, and in the Fall she will begin the Reading Specialist Credential program at California State University, Northridge.
In her free time, Hali likes to work in her garden, go to the beach, and spend time with her friends and family.