3 minute read
EDUCATION Althea
EDUCATION
SPANNING DIVIDES
Teacher Althea Valle builds bridges with language
by MARINA BROWN
“T he first things they all want to learn are the cuss words,” Althea Valle laughed in describing her students. in Belgium. There, Valle collaborated with a variety of countries’ representatives and became fluent in French.
Well, doesn’t everybody? But for After four years, she decided young non-speakers of English, to join her mother, then living in knowledge of a few “naughties” New York City, and eyeing plans can mean acceptance and perhaps to change professions, made the beginning of belonging in a plans to earn a master’s degree. new culture and its different ways But on a trip back to Jamaica, of communicating. Valle met her husband-to-be, an
Valle should know. For nearly American on holiday, and those 20 years, the 2020 Leon County plans shifted dramatically.
Schools Teacher of the Year has The couple married, set up a taught English to speakers of home in the United States, and other languages. An instruc- began a family that would grow tor at Godby High School for to include twin girls, now 32, 15 years, she previously worked and two sons, 28 and 25. Valle at the elementary school level in resumed pursuit of a master’s
Gadsden County before graduat- degree in English. She was detering to the secondary school arena mined to become a teacher. and becoming Godby’s English “When I had worked in for Students of Other Languages Belgium, learning French had (ESOL) Coordinator. piqued my interest in languages,”
The diminutive Valle has lived she said. “Even now, I don’t conan exciting life and seen much of sider myself a linguist, although the world. I’ve become a poor Spanish
She was born in Montego Bay, speaker along the way.”
Jamaica, and majored in econom- Cherith Sivyer became a great ics at the University of the West inspiration and mentor to Valle,
Indies, graduating with honors. helping her to see “what young
Her degree made her attractive people not born here can contribto the Jamaican foreign service’s ute to our society and how we, in trade mission and, fresh out of turn, can join together to build college, she became “second sec- bridges between cultures.” retary” at the Jamaican embassy Such bridge building isn’t easy.
↗ Althea Valle, Leon County’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, employs several teaching modalities in working in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
↑ Althea Valle reviews student projects at her classroom at Godby High School. Her interest in languages was piqued when she worked at the Jamaican embassy in Belgium.
“These children work so hard to fit in,” Valle said. “And some come without literacy skills — they can’t read in their own language.
Valle teaches classes of 12 to 15 students comprising speakers of Farsi, Spanish, a number of Asian languages and other languages.
“Communicating is always a moving target,” she said, but one she happily pursues.
She finds that social media help her students acquire lan- “They also, I think, guage skills. “They must write more in a social context, using idioms and are happier. Now, they can easily phrases used by their peers,” communicate Valle said. “They also, I think, are happier. Now, they can easily communicate with those with those back home, and in back home, and in that atmo- that atmosphere, sphere, take the chances that come with expressing yourself when you’re not sure if you’re take the chances that come with doing it right.” expressing yourself Valle tries to keep track of the progress her students make through life. when you’re not sure if you’re
“I stay in touch with some of doing it right.” my very first students,” she said. “One of them I had in middle — Althea Valle school is now a physician. Another one became a pharmacist. Not everyone takes up such a profession, but each one who succeeds in this land of English speakers brings me hope.” TM
