Meet New Executive Board Members
Kathryn Tepedino – ESL Secondary Special Interest Group Representative
I am entering my 19th year in education and have taught ESL grades K-12, middle school French, as well as ESL in a public high school in Montpellier, France. I have spent the majority of my professional journey in pursuit of best literacy practices for MLLs, especially for those who struggle at the secondary level. After earning two Master’s degrees in Second Language and Reading Education from Rutgers University, and K-12 certifications as a reading specialist, TOSD, and an Orton Gillingham specialist, I am honored and eager to assist, collaborate, and learn alongside the members of NJTESOL-NJBE. This past year, I completed my 3rd year teaching ESL and reading intervention at Morristown High School, and will be working as a full time ML reading interventionist next year. I hope to connect with fellow secondary teachers who work with students with diverse literacy and language needs, to ensure the success of our MLs.
Jenna Maneri – Elementary ESL K-5 Special Interest Group Representative
I am a Multilingual Learner Specialist with over a decade of experience as an ESL teacher in public schools in New Jersey and New York. I have dedicated my career to supporting Multilingual Learners of every grade level, from K-12 students to adult learners. My specialties include language acquisition, cultural competence, and instructional design using differentiations and scaffolding strategies. I have been an NJTESOL/NJBE member since 2013 and am very excited to be serving NJTESOL’s Executive Board as the Elementary ESL K-5 Special Interest Group Representative for the first time! I love to connect with educators who are just as passionate about educating and advocating for Multilingual Learners.
Follow me on instagram @jenna.esl so we can connect today!
Qawwee Shabazz – Liaison
I have humbly begun to serve as the liaison for NJTESOL. My journey as an educator started after I graduated from University of South Carolina in 2008 as a Political Science major. At that time, the economy had taken a huge toll and ended my aspirations of becoming a merger and acquisitions attorney, so in 2012, I started my master’s degree at New Jersey City University in Urban Education with a specialization in English as a Second Language. Although I was successful in obtaining the knowledge for me to teach, I decided to start my professional career in Saudi Arabia at The Higher Institute of Plastic Fabrications in Riyadh in 2014. After teaching there until early 2017, I returned back to NJCU where I completed my degree in 2020 and resumed my professional career in 2019 at Jersey City Community Charter School as the ESL/ELL teacher. I really enjoy my profession educating multilingual learners, and am now getting adjusted to the position as the liaison as I hope to continue the tremendous work that the predecessor has done. I aspire to keep the relationship with our sister organization, NYTESOL, as well as the other TESOL associations within the Northeast and other states in the WIDA Consortium. Furthermore, I wish to be a part of expanding chapters in other counties such as Hudson as I witness the huge influx of MLs coming to this concentrated area. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to open up a chapter for your county or become its leader. The email to contact me is at liaison@njtesol-njbe.org.
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