Lee Ann Kelly has been given the President’s Award by TNTESOL — which is Tennessee Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
The LES (Lakeland Elementary School) teacher was cited for her passion for ESL (English as a Second Language) upon receiving the award. From TNTESOL President Tammy Harosky, “I have selected Ms. Kelly because during my time on the board, she has always been there to answer questions, provide support and encouragement. Ms. Kelly has a true passion for ESL which is evident in everything she does. She has been a wonderful mentor to many members of the TNTESOL board.”
Mrs. Kelly is in her first year at LES (Lakeland Elementary School) but started her teaching career as a resource teacher at East High School in Memphis before going to Houston High School in the same capacity.
She became an ESL teacher for Shelby County Schools in 2002. “This involved teaching grades K-12 at six schools. With the influx of non-native English speakers, there became a need for ESL teachers. So, I eventually taught ESL at Houston High and Collierville High Schools,” said Mrs. Kelly.
She and her husband Jerry have two daughters: Cailin and Maggie. “Cailin is in a Master’s Program at CBU (Christian Brothers University). Her goal is to work with the functional skills community. Maggie is a senior and is trying to make the difficult decision of where she will go to college! My extended family includes over 40 first cousins. Surprisingly, I see most of my extended family at least once a month.”
Of her award and job, Mrs. Kelly said, “I am extremely fortunate to have the best job in the world! The ESL students are eager and excited about learning. I am constantly amazed by the progress these students make in such a short period of time. The goal of the ESL program is for the student to flourish in the rich language of English and progress to the point that services are no longer needed.”
TNTESOL is an affiliate of TESOL which is an international association of professionals advancing the quality of English language teaching through professional development, research, standards, and advocacy.
… Photo by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents.
