ESL teachers in North Carolina and around the nation are exploring and implementing new instructional models.  For this issue of the ESL Globe we interviewed three individuals who are at the forefront of this trend and who are making a difference through their innovative programs and continued dedication to serve an increasing, and increasingly diverse, student population.

Barbara Beaverson, Title III Staff Development Planner and ESOL trainer for Fulton County (Georgia) Schools
Author of Building a Bridge to Success: Supporting the ESOL Student in the Mainstream, Barbara Beaverson has over twenty years experience in education in grades one through the university level.  After beginning her career as a Spanish teacher, she earned additional MA degrees in ESOL, Specific Learning Disabilities and Educational Leadership and is a SIOP trainer. She has developed an outstanding program model for raising the academic achievement of secondary ESL students by implementing a support teacher program. The support teacher is an advocate for students and works with mainstream teachers to ensure that the needs of LEP students are recognized and understood and that quality instruction is provided for ELLs.
Link to interview

Mayra Hayes, ESL Director for Guilford County, NC, Schools
Mayra Hayes has proposed or established several innovative programs for ESL students, teachers and parents.  Among them is a recently proposed and funded Newcomer Center designed to serve the needs of the growing LEP student population in the district.  The school will operate on a year-round calendar and will serve about 300 students in fifth through 12th grades during their first year in Guilford County. Attendance will be voluntary. The center will offer a specially-designed curriculum; community orientation to police departments, libraries, banks and other services; support services for families and referrals to community organizations; a 15 to 1 student-teacher ratio; and tutoring and counseling for students.
Link to interview

Martha Gensemer-Ramirez, ESL Teacher Forest View Elementary School,
Durham, NC, Public Schools
Under the aegis of Sashi Rayasam, Director of ESL K-12, Durham, NC, Public Schools, ESL teachers are exploring instructional models which include collaborative teaching to effect inclusion of ELLs.  The inclusion model dictates collaboration among ESL teachers, classroom teachers and other professionals to integrate students of all backgrounds into a cohesive group of learners.

Martha Gensemer-Ramirez is an ESL Teacher at Forest View Elementary School in Durham, NC, who shares her interest and expertise in team teaching, integrated curriculum, and collaboration.
Link to interview