Nicole Iglesias has been teaching for the past 19 years, with the last nine as an ESL (English as a second language) teacher. Iglesias is the ESL teacher for Arlington Elementary and Middle Schools and also for Donelson Elementary School.
“Being an ESL teacher has been a really rewarding experience, especially when you see a child come into your classroom who doesn’t speak any English and you get to see them grow throughout the year — and not only learn academically, but learn a whole new language simultaneously,” Iglesias says.
Teaching was, in fact, a second career for Iglesias. She had always had an interest in working with children and had worked in various childcare settings such as a daycare, church nursery, vacation bible school, and as a summer nanny. “Even though I knew I wanted to work with children when I went to college, I decided to go a different direction and ended up getting my bachelor’s from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in language and world business,” Iglesias says. After college, she held jobs in international sales, merchandise analysis, and as an assistant buyer, but quickly realized it was not the field for her. Determined to pursue her passion for working with children, she quit her job and went back to school to obtain a master’s in education. “When taking those new classes for my new degree, I instantly knew I was in the right place and where I was meant to be all along,” explains Iglesias.
Iglesias is driven to bring the best into her classroom by her personal experience of moving to a new country and facing the challenges of learning a new language. “I know exactly what these kids are going through and how they feel coming into a brand-new country and not knowing the language,” says Iglesias. “I myself moved to the United States from Puerto Rico the summer before I was going to start fourth grade.” Upon that move, she faced a sink-or-swim situation when starting school. ESL didn’t exist back then, but she had the support of great parents, teachers, and friends, which made the transition easier for her. She now takes great satisfaction in being able to use her experiences to help her students with the transition of moving to a new country and learning a new language. She is committed to helping her students grow and succeed.
“I feel like as an ESL I not only get to know these kids on a more personal level, but their families as well,” Iglesias continues. “I sometimes get to work with some of these families and children for several years, so you really get to form a connection with them, and you get to see them flourish and grow throughout the years.”
In the classroom, Iglesias endeavors to incorporate real-world experiences and infuse elements of enjoyment to create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment. She strives to instill a love of learning in students and to illustrate the practical relevance of the curriculum. “For ESL kids it’s very important to engage them with visuals and sort of hit all of their senses because when they come in, they may not understand the language just yet, so you have to find alternative ways to help them understand what they are learning,” Iglesias says. Her approach to teaching is characterized by a diversity of resources to ensure students are exposed to the material from multiple perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of the material.
“It’s very rewarding, especially when you see them not only grow academically, but also learn a whole new language and become bilingual or multilingual students,” explains Iglesias. Inspiring her students (and being inspired by her students) confirms Iglesias is in the right place and at precisely the right time.
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