Teachers respond to their "calling"

October 29, 2007 03:22 pm

— Five years ago the Jones County School District responded to the increase of non-English speaking people moving into the county and hired instructors to help students learn the English language and adjust to their new environment.
These new instructors are English Language Learner teachers who teach English as a Second Language class. In conjunction with the No Child Left Behind Act, JCSD hired Debbie Blackledge and Gwen King as ESL teachers to serve all county schools. Since then four more teachers have joined the district and assist students throughout the county in grades kindergarten-12th. Courtney Crager, Nilda Witty, Gina Barnett, Christi Robinson, Blackledge and King make up JCSD’s ESL teachers. Students are assigned to specific teachers who work one-on-one at each school to ensure they get the instruction they need.
Students are required to pass four Mississippi Subject Area Tests before being allowed to graduate from high school. These tests are Biology I, Algebra I, English II and U.S. History from 1877. So far 13 students enrolled in the ESL class have passed the subject area tests and graduated.
King gave an example of a student who enrolled in the JCSD their junior year and like so many ELL students, citizens and non-citizens, couldn’t speak a word of English. The student had to learn the English language, and pass all four subject area tests in order to graduate.
“They have overcome so many obstacles,” Blackledge said. “It’s a challenge for them.”
The first goal ESL teachers have is to ensure their students learn the English language. Their second goal is to ensure they graduate from high school.
Every student who enrolls in the Jones County School District takes an English proficiency exam. This exam determines at what level in the English language that student is at this level then determines if that should be enrolled in the ESL class. Once a student scores “intermediate” on the exam, that student is enrolled in regular classes and monitored by ESL teachers.
Blackledge said statistics report that one can learn to speak a language anywhere from six months to two years, enough to have basic conversation. And to be like a native speaker it takes an average of five to nine years. Many of the ELL students are accomplishing this in less than a year.
Blackledge said many students spend the first year at school absorbing the language before really being able to speak it fluently and comfortably.
“These kids are unbelievable,” said Blackledge.
Many students have excelled beyond anyone’s expectations and some elementary students are enrolled in Star Reach, the JCSD gifted program.
The majority of non-English speaking students in the county are Hispanic but other nationalities are also represented in the district. Students from Vietnam, China and India are also enrolled in the ESL class.
“You get very good at signals, pictionary, and a lot of acting to help students understand the language,” King commented on the challenges of being an ESL teacher.
“When you learn a language there is so much more than learning the history or how to speak it, it could be your motivation, your personality, or your home life. All of these things impact whether you learn the language or not,” said Blackledge. “We try to make them feel comfortable because that is the very first thing in learning a new language. You have to feel comfortable in your surroundings in order to learn.”
“We try to be more than a teacher. We go to their birthday parties, take them to the doctor, tutor them at home when they can’t make it to school and translate for them,” King said. “When hurricanes are in the forecast we go around and make sure they know what is going on.”
“One thing we encourage as well as the counselors at all the schools is for them to mesh in and be involved in school activities. Not to be separate,” said Blackledge.
Students participate in homecoming activities, Beta Club, Star Reach, class officers, drama, soccer, show choir, football, and many other clubs.
“They are wanting and are trying to succeed,” Blackledge said.
“For our kids to have so many challenges against them and to see them strive for success is amazing,” King added.
“In the elementary schools, I cannot tell you how many students have received the Student of the Month award and you talk to the teachers and those students are so respectful.” In many other countries teachers are held in high regard and the level of respect many of the students have for their American teachers is almost unheard of elsewhere.
“I feel like our program in Jones County has just really grown since we first began five years ago,” Blackledge said.
James Walters, Federal Program Director for the JCSD, has been a huge support for the ESL class, obtaining the computer software, equipment and teaching materials needed to ensure that each student gets the instruction they deserve.
“A lot that we have accomplished would not have been possible without Mr. Walters because he has been so supportive in searching for funding or whatever we need. That’s a big plus.”
King and Blackledge both feel they were ‘called’ to their current career field. They love to tell stories about their students and the accomplishments they have been a part of.
“It’s a mission really,” King said.
“I feel that God has put me here. This is more than a job,” Blackledge said.
One of the most recent ESL teachers to join JCSD, Nilda Witty, a native of Honduras said, “I want to influence them to have good role models, to be good productive citizens, and to respect this country.”
“This is quality education for Hispanic students. These ladies are heroic. They do an amazing job,” Witty said of her fellow ESL teachers. Witty has taught Spanish for more than 17 years. “I believe it was God’s hand that put me to working with Hispanics. This has enriched me tremendously. I’m getting more out of this than anyone.”
Witty not only helps teach English she also helps prepare students for their subject area tests. “I’m doing a little bit of everything, science, American history, Algebra. It’s enlightening.”
For more information about the ESL class contact the Jones County School District.

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