|
Hi, Elizabeth. Thanks for talking with us. Can we start with just a brief bio?
Sure. I was born and raised in a small suburban town in West
Michigan. I’m a first generation learner, so when it came to picking a
college, I had no idea where to start! Something about Kalamazoo
College’s study abroad program seemed intriguing to me, so I signed up. I
had the opportunity to work and study in Kolkata, India through the
International Partnership for Service Learning. That’s where I had my
first TESOL experience: teaching with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of
Charity. After graduating, I moved to Philadelphia and served with City
Year, which is kind of like a domestic version of the Peace Corps. I
worked in a bilingual elementary school in North Philadelphia as a
pull-out literacy instructor. Then I bounced back to west Michigan for a
while where I worked as an IELTS administrator at Grand Valley State
University. I relocated to Philly again to get my master’s in TESOL at
the University of Pennsylvania. While studying full-time, I worked
several part-time jobs including rating for ETS, briefly teaching at
Drexel University’s English Language Center, and instructing in the
University of Pennsylvania’s English Language Program. Upon graduating, I
was offered the position as ITA coordinator, and I haven’t looked back since! I live in West Philly with my
fiancé and our dog, Lucy, and I have a one-mile walking commute to work
every day.
How did you get your start in the TESOL field?
As I briefly mentioned before, it all started in India when I
was 20 years old. Then every job after that seemed to be ESL related,
whether I was working in a public school, at a private business, or at a
university. I always tell myself, “Everything happens for a reason,” so
I decided to pursue my TESOL degree after pausing and taking stock of
the patterns in my life. I remember the watershed moment: I went
straight into a desk job after working in the Philly public school
system, and I hated the sudden decrease in activity. There is something
about teaching and being kept on my toes (figuratively and literally!)
that gives me a sense of fulfillment. And there is nothing quite like an
ITA program to keep a teacher on her toes.
Would you give us a quick overview of your interests?
Everything―I’m still new enough that it all seems fascinating.
Of course language assessment is a primary interest; my presentation at
this past TESOL convention was related to effective oral assessment via
BlackBoard for classroom-based teachers. Next, I’m about to embark on a
rater-training project for our ITA program, so wish me luck. Besides
assessment, I’m also interested in classroom discourse and interaction,
teacher training, and pronunciation instruction.
Do you have a favorite ITA-related story from your research or teaching experiences?
There are so many good experiences. The one that never gets old
is the pride our ITAs feel after completing our training program. We
always ask alumni to speak at our new student orientation, and so many
past participants are eager to volunteer to stand up and speak about
their experiences in a clear and concise way. It’s a true manifestation
of the effective combination of a good training program and a
hard-working student.
Was there something from the TESOL convention in Philadelphia that
you'd like to share, that you thought was particularly
valuable?
I didn’t get to see enough! I thought living in the same city
where the convention was held was going to be great; I was avoiding
airports and train stations, and would still be home in time to walk my
dog every night. However, I was also teaching at Penn, which meant a lot
of shuttling back and forth between the convention center and the
university, and I completely underestimated how much I was going to be
missing out on. Fortunately, I caught two great back-to-back
presentations about utilizing undergrads in ITA programs. That
initiative is on deck after my rater-training project.
Is there anything you’d like readers to know about you that I haven’t asked about yet?
Nope! | 
