Learn with Mel Hern

  Understanding the Unique Role of an ESL Teacher ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers serve as language instructors, cultural liaisons, emotional supporters, and advocates. Your role goes beyond teaching grammar or vocabulary—you're empowering students to access learning, feel safe, and belong. Bridging Language and Cultural Gaps Students enter your room with a wide range of English proficiency and cultural experiences. Begin the year by validating their identities. Use greetings in their home languages, display international flags, and share stories about yourself. This helps students relate to you and each other. ESL Teacher Responsibilities Beyond Academics Beyond academics, you’ll often: Help with school registration and interpretation Translate important documents Support students during behavior interventions Collaborate with school psychologists or social workers Start strong by making yourself visible and helpful in these ways. Preparing Your Cl...

Newcomer students—recent arrivals to the United States—often face a whirlwind of challenges as they adjust to a new country, culture, and school system. For educators, the responsibility of supporting these amazing students extends beyond academics. It requires empathy, cultural responsiveness, and a commitment to creating equitable learning opportunities. This blog explores the journey newcomers face, practical strategies for supporting them, and how we can embrace bilingual instruction to help students thrive academically and socially. Please know that this post is not an exhaustive list of the struggles Newcomers face and the strategies that educational institutions must take. Instead, this is a very basic springboard to ongoing work that should most definitely continue as educators receive more diverse students from around the world in their classrooms. Understanding the Newcomer Experience Newcomers arrive with a variety of backgrounds, languages, and educational experiences. Some...