Hello, everyone! My name is Jessica Zehler. I am a first grade teacher at Florence Elementary School in Florence, KY. I graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 2004 and began teaching at FES in 2005. I have been a first grade teacher all five years that I've been teaching. The last two years I have been the regular education teacher in the first grade ELL classroom. 12 of my 21 students are ELLs! The past two years have been the most challenging, but also the most rewarding! I also taught an afterschool dance program for one year to second- and third-graders, I coached intramural girls' cheerleading for two years, and I worked in the afterschool program for four years.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, watching television and movies, exercising, and spending time with my friends and family. I am marrying my fiance Deric this coming June in Jamaica... Is it June yet? :) So obviously I am having fun planning our wedding as well!
I am looking forward to using all the different types of technology that will be offered in this course in order to get me more familiar with those that I don't use. I look forward to working with everyone!
Hey Jessica- really nice job with this blog- it looks very professional and congrats on your soon to be wedding- I think it will be fun to go to a neat destination to celebrate. I am eager to hear more about your work with ELL students- this is such a huge growing population and I know that my undergrads are very worried about teaching in this type of environment- I will have to pick your brain about some of the strategies that you use. Glad to have you with us-
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your upcoming marriage. I remember what an exciting time of life that was! :) I am curious to know if the majority of your 12 ELL students speak the same language and if you speak a language other than English.
ReplyDeleteThanks, ladies, on the wedding congratulations! It's been really fun so far!! Let's just hope a bridezilla doesn't show up in my near future! :D
ReplyDeleteRhonda -- yes, the majority of my ELL students speak the same language: 8 speak Spanish, 1 speaks Fuulani (she is a refugee from Senegal), and 3 speak Arabic. I actually do not speak any foreign languages, so I was really nervous when I began teaching in the ELL class. But for the past two years, it really has not been a major issue... it's generally only been occasionally troublesome when I am trying to communicate with a parent who speaks little to no English.