My name is Christine Clancy and I am a high school ESL teacher at Avon Grove High School.  Prior to working in Avon Grove School District I spent 10 years in the School District of Philadelphia as a teacher and manager, helping to oversee ESL programs in schools across the city.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University, a Masters in TESOL from Temple University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Chestnut Hill College. 

I was inspired to become an ESL teacher because of my grandfather, Carmello Notarianni, whose story of immigrating from Italy always fascinated me. When I became a teacher, I knew I wanted to also work with immigrants. 

Today, my passion is helping linguistically diverse learners to bridge the gap between basic English skills and academic English proficiency.  In the classroom, nothing lights me up more than when my students engage in authentic conversations about a work of literature or write a high quality essay analyzing a complex text. My grandfather ran a successful shoe-repair business despite not attending school past the 6th grade or learning to speak English fluently.  To find the same level of success in today’s market requires much more formal education, specialized training and a better grasp of the English language.  I want to do all I can to help todays’ immigrant youth stay in school, learn English and have every opportunity afforded to them as residents in the United States.  

Goals:

The past 3 years, with the shift to virtual learning, have illuminated a need to improve my knowledge of educational technology. Even prior to the pandemic, starting in the Avon Grove School District, it was my first time working in a school with a 1:1 device initiative.  Navigating Learning Management Systems such as Schoology, was (and still can be!) a challenge. I took this course to enhance my understanding of best practices for incorporating 21st century tools into my classroom instruction.