Proud of My Guy

I am pretty proud of Scotty and the impression he has made on the students and the administrator in his English as a Second Language class.

Steve Christensen is the administrator of Southwest High School's ESL program. Scotty had to interview him for a paper he's writing for his Master's class. Here is a quote that is just a really nice compliment for Scotty:

"Steve's level assessments assist in determining just how much ESL benefit the classes are providing. But he said, "The big picture of how well the program is running is by how many smiles I see...and this year, I see lots of smiles!" Student level gains and retention rates are unprecedentedly high this year (2009-2010) according to Steve."

And the students have made an impression on Scotty as well. He says, "I teach one of these ESL classes and know that my students cannot be cowards. I ponder their strength from what is often a wrenching decision to move to America, learning of a new world, living with constant challenges, humbling themselves to sit in class where they may embarrass themselves with their speaking ability. None of this is kid stuff. The ESL class is for the strong and gutsy. I suggest each of my students learn, remember and sincerely consider the last for words of our American National Anthem. I can testify that they, too, are part of what makes this a "Home of the Brave."