Nine teachers in the St. Croix School District received Teaching English as a Second Language certification at a ceremony at UVI, St. Croix, on May 16, 2016.
Twenty teachers in the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John Districts achieved an important milestone in their professional careers by earning Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification following a year of intense study at the University of the Virgin Islands' School of Education. In November of 2014, the School of Education began offering coruses designed to provide public school teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective instruction to English learners in their classrooms. The courses for the certificate program were approved by faculty in the School of Education and by the Curriculum Committee.
The TESL certificate program is open only to (a) seniors at the University of the Virgin Islands with a GPA of 2.33 or higher completing a teacher preparation program and (b) in-service teachers holding at least a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution. The courses in the certificate program include: EDU 230: The Use of Computers in ESL Curriculum and Instruction; EDU 234: Second Language Acquisition; EDU 326: The Reading Process for Second Language Learners; EDU 330: Linguistics for ESL Teachers; EDU 335: Curriculum Development and Language Learning in the ESL Classroom; and EDU 340: Classroom-based Assessment for the ESL Classroom.
Special certification ceremonies were held on St. Croix and St. Thomas on May 16 and 17, respectively, to recognize the first cohort of teachers who completed the program. During remarks on St. Thomas, Linda Thomas, Ph.D., dean of UVI's School of Education, praised the program by stating that "Virgin Islands' public schools are opening its doors to students who speak another language other than English," thus preparing teachers are an essential component to ensure the success of those students.
Congratulations to the 2016 graduates!
Nine of 11 teachers in the St. Thomas-St. John School District display their Teaching English as a Second Language certificates during a ceremony held at UVI, St. Thomas, on May 17, 2016.
School of Education - St. Croix Campus
Shanet S. Alexander
Elena L. Christian Jr. High School
Lourdes A. Angles-Figueroa
Ricardo Richards Elementary School
Chantal A. Connor
Eulalie R. Rivera Elementary School
Amauri H. Contreras
Juanita Gardine Elementary School
Jenell Hendricks
Ricardo Richards Elementary School
Vida A. Petersen
Lew Muckle Elementary School
Lorrender Y. Shoy
St. Croix Central High School
Kean M. Thompson
St. Croix Educational Complex High School
Avelyn J. White
St. Croix Educational Complex High School
School of Education - St. Thomas Campus
Alvita Benjamin
Gladys A. Abraham Elementary School
Charmaine D. Caines
Lockhart Elementary School
Sergio Calderón
Charlotte Amalie High School
Akeema C. Charleswell
Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School
Kimberly Gifft
Ulla F. Muller Elementary School
Brittney Glasgow
Ulla F. Muller Elementary School
Judith A. Henley
Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School
Thora T. Henry
Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School
Marguerite Price
Charlotte Amalie High School
Jeannette A. Rhymer
Ivanna E. Kean High School
Cynthia A. Sayenga
Lockhart Elementary School
