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DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – Decatur Public Schools District 61 is welcoming international teachers to the classroom for the second year of the program.
Teachers this year are from the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Ghana. Decatur Public Schools has more than 40 international teachers.
Delicia Pollard is an eighth grade math teacher at Dennis Lab Schools. She previously spent 19 years teaching math classes in Guyana.
“The move was challenging at first with all the new technology and the different methods of teaching,” said Pollard. “It’s totally different from home. But we are both adjusting, I try to get to know them and learn what they like.”
Pollard has enjoyed getting to know her students and encourage them to work hard to grow their math comprehension. Her students have been eager to learn more about her life in Guyana.
“We do sessions like different times I tell them about my country, about the culture, the food, the music,” said Pollard. “We talk about different things, and then they get to tell me more about the United States, because there’s a lot that I don’t know that I’m still learning and I’m still experiencing.”
Jennifer Nanor is a seventh grade ELA teacher. She is in her second year teaching at Dennis Lab Schools as well.
“I’m from Ghana, and I was born and I lived in Ghana all my life,” said Nanor.” And at some point I said, ‘Okay, so you’ve experienced so much in Ghana. You need to experience as a country, right?’ So I needed to move from my comfort zone.”
Nanor was worried about how American students would react to her teaching style and accent. Through support from the district and other international teachers, she gained confidence.
“I will say that I really appreciate my students, they have been very helpful,” Nanor said. “They accepted me so well, and I’m so thankful to them.”
Her students have also been very excited to learn about Ghana. She has enjoyed teaching them about her home country, and sharing Ghanaian food with the students.
Nanor also sets aside class time to talk to her kids about Ghana.
“I call it knowing me, knowing you,” said Nanor. “That is when I get to know my students and they get to know me. They ask everything. They want to know everything about Ghana,” Nanor said.
Both teachers said they’ve connected with other international teachers and built community with them.