Genet Elementary School English as a New Language Teacher Sabine Murphy was named the NYS TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Member of the Month last week. Mrs. Murphy was nominated and selected for demonstrating an above and beyond commitment to the TESOL field.
This is Mrs. Murphy’s fourth year as an ENL teacher at Genet Elementary School. She works with English Language Learners in first grade, fourth grade and the Language Concepts Special Education class, whose native languages include Hindi, Urdu, Burmese, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Mrs. Murphy uses hands-on lessons to help teach her students. For example, she has students build spaghetti bridges to learn about geometric shapes and uses puppet shows to introduce different cultures.
She also incorporates music and history into lessons. When students learn about civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, they listen to Pete Seeger and Joan Baez’s “We Shall Overcome.” When learning about colonial America, the students learn how to dye fabric, weave and crochet.
“I was very surprised and very honored (to receive this award),” she said. “This award really should go to all of my colleagues. We work so closely together – the classroom teachers, the ENL teachers and Special Education teachers. They’re the ones who make me a better teacher.”
Congratulations!