ABINGTON, Pa. — Five Penn State Abington students majoring in elementary and early childhood education took a crucial step forward in building their professional competencies by connecting coursework, fieldwork and professional practice at the PennTESOL East conference for educators who support English learners (ELs).
The students, who are also pursuing English as a second language (ESL) certificates, shared experiences from their pre-student teaching placements in the School District of Philadelphia at the session they led, "Becoming Teachers in New Realities: Preservice Voices on Supporting English Learners."
“The students’ insights, emerging professionalism, and genuine commitment to English learners in their Philadelphia school district placements shone at the conference,” said Roxanna Senyshyn, associate professor of applied linguistics and of communication arts and sciences. “Our session drew a full room and sparked thoughtful, inspiring conversations — one attendee even shared that it made her trip worthwhile.”
Teri Dodaro, an assistant teaching professor and field experience coordinator, joined the students and Senyshyn, who also coordinates the ESL certificate program at Abington, on the panel.
As students preparing to teach in the Philadelphia region, where classrooms are increasingly multilingual, attending a professional conference offers the hands-on learning, faculty mentorship and preparation necessary to successfully transition from campus to career.
The student presenters — Kiarra Go, Alicia Lukens, Grace Menezes, Sadia Rahman and Grace Thompson-Rodes — spoke candidly about challenges and strategies related to differentiation, linguistic and cultural responsiveness, and relationship-building, offering a unique perspective on how emerging educators navigate today’s classrooms.
Menezes discussed the importance of translanguaging — using the home language alongside English to help students learn — to support learning, engagement and student identity. She also reflected on the confidence she gained by presenting to experienced educators.
“I was initially nervous speaking in front of veteran educators, but their encouragement and gratitude for our advocacy for English learners made me feel validated and confident,” she said.
Grace Thompson-Rodes emphasized that the experience aligned with her career goals.
“My cohort and I were able to share our experiences as student teachers having no previous experience in the Philadelphia school district, which is highly populated with ELs,” she said. “It was an amazing experience as I continue growing as a general education teacher who can best support English learners.”
She highlighted how simple strategies — like learning key phrases in students’ home languages — helps build trust and increases classroom participation.
The students also attended conference sessions that expanded their instructional toolkits and deepened their understanding of advocacy. Several mentioned that sessions reframed assumptions about multilingual learners and highlighted the role of ESL education in promoting equity.
Seeing data illustrating how effective structured language support can be was “a powerful perspective shift,” according to Lukens.
The students left the conference with tactics, strategies and skills for effective teaching that they can bring directly into their classrooms.
“The conference connected everything I am learning in class and in fieldwork,” D'Ambrosio noted.
At Abington, opportunities like attending PennTESOL East are part of the Abington Experience, a campus-to-career roadmap that helps students learn through real-world experiences, work with faculty mentors and step confidently into the future.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington, home to nearly 3,000 students and just minutes from Philadelphia, offers 26 four-year majors and 14 NCAA Division III athletics teams. The Abington Experience launches students from campus to career through internships, leadership development, short-term academic travel, and faculty-led research. Penn State Abington — where the city’s energy meets the best of the suburbs.