Introductions

Hello everyone! I just wanted to begin by introducing myself and explaining what brought me to the decision to teach ELL. My name is Jessica and I have been teaching Spanish to adorably begrudging high school students for the past five years. I can honestly say that I LOVE what I do, so it is not a distaste for my students or subject area that led me to pursue ELL certification.

I love language teaching and all its methodology. The language classroom is by nature interactive and vibrant. You really cannot teach students to read, write, listen and speak in another language without sound teaching practice, so it forces you to think about what you're doing. Even though I felt completely overwhelmed as a first year teacher, I feel that each year I've become a better teacher than the year before.

So what would lead me to change gears when I love my job so much?

There are several of factors that contributed to my decision, but I think the main motivation I have is the need for ESL educators at the high school level. Students who come in as newcomers in high school have been overlooked for many years and their unique needs and challenges are just coming to the attention of educational policy makers and stakeholders. In my classroom I have seen the difference that ELL teachers have made in the lives of my heritage language learners. Many students in my class have stated that their ELL teacher was the best teacher they've ever had and that they will never forget all the work the teacher did to help them understand English. In a high school atmosphere of general apathy, hearing students talk about a teacher in this way peaked my interest. I know that all teachers make a difference in the lives of their students, whether the students realize it or not. I am not negating the importance of foreign language instruction, or any other content area for that matter, but I just feel drawn to do something even more challenging and, perhaps, rewarding.

Another reason ELL appeals to me is my interest in language, culture and travel. I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Spain during college and experience second language learning firsthand in the target culture. I know how difficult it can be and how much culture shock can affect students. I would love the opportunity to work with students from around the globe and learn from them as they learn from me. I hope to become a better language teacher, regardless of the position I end up in following this program. As my pastor often says "You're either green and growing or ripe and rotting." I hope to always be a "green" teacher.