Elizabeth Drake is a new English Language Learner teacher (ELL) teacher at Malden High School.
Drake is an ELL 1 and 3 writing teacher, a job she says is very fulfilling, especially in Malden because she ¨[loves] working with a diverse group of students”. Drake used to be a middle school teacher but she transitioned into teaching high school students because she likes working with a more mature age group.
Drake has been teaching for five years, and, during that time, has developed her own methodology, her own style of teaching. She said she ¨doesn't like standing in front of a classroom” and instead prefers encouraging “students to talk to each other and do a lot of group work.¨ She said that she tries to switch the class seating arrangements every so often so everyone can be comfortable with each other. She acknowledges that everyone has their own way to learn, so sometimes it is good to have other people around that can help.
ELL department teacher leader Jessica Haralson explained that the reason Drake was hired was because ¨she had a strong background in English and [....] she had taught in a middle school before.¨ Haralson also praised Drake for being a ¨creative and diligent person” who ¨seems to really enjoy her classes.¨ She continued to explain that Drake has been ¨great to work with and very professional¨ and seems to be ¨really creative in terms of the way she plans lessons.¨
A new challenge Drake faces in her first year at MHS is the fact that ¨two of her classes [are] science related, which is not what she was originally teaching,¨ but is determined to teach to the best of her ability.
Regardless of challenges, Drake hopes to be a great addition to the ELL department and the MHS faculty at large.