Stamford, Connecticut Tesol Program is Alive and Running Well

The Scofield Magnet Middle School in Stamford, CT

What is the Tesol program offered by the Stamford Board of Education for at least the last 15 years?

First off, Tesol stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. In the Scofield Magnet Middle School in Stamford, Ct, this means that about 24 children who have just recently arrived in the United States from foreign countries are offered an intensive one year (and sometimes less time) program in the English language. This means that they are totally immersed in the American language and customs from the get go.

I had the unique opportunity to substitute teach such a class most recently--my second time in two years. To say the least, my time with the students required every ounce of concentration. There are two aides without whose persistent monitoring, caring and admonishing (the more unruly students) I could not have functioned well.

We read together from a Weekly Reader whose colorful graphics driven text of four pages was a stimulant to a lively discussion . There were 6 tables and each table has four students who in some cases, I discovered, are from the same country. The most lively group was from a foursome that had just arrived a few months ago just after the horrific earthquake that devastated a major part of Haiti. They had their hands raised offering to read and then answer my questions. (the subject was the green ecological recycling of a postal cardboard box.)

Wow, was the conversation lively and the hands raised with an urgency.

At the end of this class, one student recently arrived from Haiti (as were 7 others) and dressed in a lovely skirt and matching blouse came up to me and asked in perfect French:" Monsieur S. Est -ce que tu seras ici demain?" (translated will you be coming back again tomorrow, Mr. S?)I answered her in English. Your regular teacher will be back tomorrow.

At this point I realized how traumatic the last few months was for these 8 Haitian students (ages 12-15). They were rudely and suddenly uprooted from their Island homes. Some had even lost parents, relatives and friends; here they were in Stamford, in beautiful new educational surroundings--their new home for half their day--and they are seeking stability, some sense of order and permanency. Will you be here for us tomorrow, Mr. S.?

During my break, I ran out to a private teacher's lounge and let out a pent up cry of emotion.

My heart goes out to these students from Sri Lanka, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala etc. Their former lives are illustrated on the walls of the classroom in large posters with lots of color pictures and information about the countries they no longer call home. Equally, moving are the photos of hundreds of children, likewise on numerous posters, who have been helped by these dedicated teachers to transition to their new country.

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