Mrs. Compton is the English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher at Saluda Trail. She works with many of the students whose first language isn’t English so they can learn English and how to better communicate with others. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Compton for the STMS PawPrint to find out more about her and her duties.

Q: Why did you decide to be a language teacher?

A: I decided to become a language teacher because I like working with students in smaller groups; and I learned that I really enjoyed working with students from other cultures.

Q: What did you do before becoming an ESOL teacher.

A: Before teaching ESOL, I worked with students with disabilities. What I loved about that was getting to know students and their families and helping them make progress. This was also perfect for ESOL.

Q: What is your greatest professional achievement?

A: A few years ago I was chosen to be a district Honor Roll Teacher of the Year.

Q: What challenges do many students have when come here?

A: Communicating with teachers and understanding the lessons.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students from other countries?

A: I enjoy learning about life in other countries including families, schools, language and culture such as dance and food.

Q: Do you think that students here from other countries are making improvements in their English?

A: Yes. I’m almost always surprised by how quickly students acquire language. Students who are language learners are almost always really motivated and excited to learn.

Q: What part of your classes do you enjoy the most?

A: I really like having conversations with students. I enjoy learning about their families, things they like to do, and getting to know them.  I also love working with students who are new to the country and need to work on basic English vocabulary.

Q: Do you feel students are adapting to their new culture?

A: I  think most students are doing very well.  Some students experience culture shock. Some students have a harder time with making friends, especially if they are the only ones who speak their language.

Q: What is one thing that you wanna to add to your class that you think make it better?

A: I wish I had more time with the class.  For example, I would like to have a whole class period rather than just the time in enrichment.

Q: I heard that last year you did a day just for students from other countries, do you plan to do it again?

A: Last year our school celebrated World Multicultural Day in May. The students with families from other countries did presentations in the Media Center and each social studies class came to the media center to see the presentations. We will be doing it again in the Spring.