Names and the identity that we derive from them are personal, and the use of appropriate names shows respect. Try these activities and strategies to broach this topic head-on and get your English learners to think about identity, what it means to them, and how it is manifested in our names. 

Baobab trees, native to Africa, are resilient; they can adapt in order to survive in hostile environments. TESOL Board of Directors member Mawa Samb shares his personal story and journey as an English language educator in Senegal and explains how he learned, like the Baobab tree, to overcome obstacles and ordeals that challenged him on his path.