Instructor Spotlight: Lidia Almidon | Drop-in ESOL at Maryvale Elementary School, Rockville Recreation and Parks Foundation

February 11, 2021

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what has inspired you to be a teacher? 

My name is Lidia Almidon and I was born in Lima, Peru. I live in Gaithersburg, MD. I graduated from Montgomery College and University of Maryland. My hobbies are cooking, painting, and dancing. What inspires me to be a teacher is the magic of the process of learning and sharing knowledge and giving the students the opportunity to acquire a new language and reaching their own goals. It is just amazing. I was inspired by my mother Ines and my First-Grade teacher Carmen Rosa.


What are the biggest challenges you face as an ESOL teacher? 

The challenges I face are in person interaction with students and their difficulties of trying to concentrate while learning at home.


What has teaching remotely during a global pandemic taught you? 

Teaching remotely has taught me to be more patient with the use of technical connectivity mishaps and mostly to connect with my students and build relationships among my students. The sense of community and the capacity of the students to overcome their fears that it is possible to learn using technology.


What advice would you give to a new ESOL teacher or volunteer? 

I will humbly just say that having the drive and motivation to serve one another. It is intrinsically gratifying and to be a part in the process of a student’s journey to learn to speak, write and read English is so important. Being patient, supportive and encouraging will help us in this journey.


What have been your favorite pastimes during COVID-19? 

My favorite pastimes during these challenging times are painting, cooking, creating new recipes and writing poems and journals for a long-awaited writing project.


What do you find most rewarding about your work? 

Teaching for me is allowing myself to encourage another being to fulfill their individual goal to learn English. It is rewarding personally and professionally. I strongly believe that being a teacher can touch a student life forever.


What is something you learned about your students during this remote teaching period?

I learned that my students are caring and look after one another and help one another. The respect, care and admiration and gratefulness are constant. Their energy is vital in the midst of any circumstance. I admire their perseverance, hard work and resilience but most of all their love to learn and thankful heart. 

Executive Director's Blog: A Message to All Our English Learners

By Gerard Etienne • July 8, 2025
Something important struck me during our recent end-of-year convening of program instructors and administrators on June 13. It was a day of celebration, sharing, connecting, brainstorming, and problem-solving – all centered on two fundamental questions: How can we serve our learners better? And how can we improve? The passion and dedication in that room were palpable. What struck me was how deeply everyone cares about this work: it matters to them. It matters to all of us. But as the day progressed, I realized something: many of the English learners in the programs we support may not know just how many people are cheering them on. They may not see the full village behind them – rooting for their success. Everyone in the picture above is part of that village – and they’re only a small fraction of it. Across Montgomery County, program administrators, instructors, volunteers, elected officials, and organizations involved in ESOL instruction are all working toward the same goal: helping our learners achieve the English proficiency they need to improve their financial stability, thrive in their communities, and feel a genuine sense of belonging. So, to all our English learners: even though you may never meet any of us, please know that you are not alone. We are rooting for you. We are cheering you on. We want you to succeed. In today’s political climate, that’s a message we must repeat – and amplify.

End-of-Year Celebration Recap

By Kairy Castro Barrios • June 18, 2025
Last Friday, June 13th, 2025, MCAEL hosted its End-of-Year Celebration & Sharing Session, attended by adult English Instructors and program staff representing 24 programs from the MCAEL network. This End-of-Year Celebration was designed to bring ESOL professionals together to celebrate their dedication and commitment to helping a community of non-native English speakers learn English as a second language, thereby supporting them in their daily lives. Their passion for teaching English as a second language contributed to everyone's eagerness to share the ways their lessons work, teaching methods that engage learners, and identifying the specific instruction skills they'd like to develop. One English instructor mentioned that, towards the end of class, she plays "Hangman" with the learners to help with spelling words; so far, no one has been hanged!  All English instructors and program staff share a common goal: to make a difference in their communities and make a direct impact on those around them. During this celebration, they were asked, “what inspired you to work in the ESOL field?" Instructors mentioned that enabling a community to learn English empowers them to grow and better integrate themselves within society. Brenda Voit, an ESOL instructor at the nonprofit Identity, mentioned that she is an English instructor who fulfills community needs and is passionate about the work she does. Christine Patton; an ESOL teacher at JSSA, spoke about her family’s personal experience emigrating from Germany to the United States and the shared frustrations of not knowing English, as well as navigating that experience in their daily lives. Christine views Montgomery County’s ability to provide free and accessible English classes as a reassuring sign of support. This invaluable resource can make a difference in the lives of many, creating a vibrant, growing coalition of Adult English learners. Kairy Castro Barrios MCAEL Intern

Executive Director's Blog: Not “Just” English Classes

By Gerard Etienne • June 17, 2025
This past Saturday, I was invited to speak at the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA)’s Learning English Together graduation ceremony – and what a wonderful event it was! The first thing that surprised me was the number of people in attendance: there were over 320 attendees, of which 146 were proud graduates. Even more impressive is the fact that there were another 150 graduates who did not attend the ceremony! But what stood out even more was how important this ceremony clearly was to so many of the learners. As a guest speaker, I joined the entrance procession and lined up with the graduates. The pride and excitement were palpable, not just among the learners, but among the instructors as well. Almost everyone was dressed up for the occasion. This was the first clue that these weren’t “just” English classes to the graduates—this was a meaningful milestone, a real achievement. As the ceremony progressed and certificates were awarded, several learners gave speeches. I found myself nearly in tears as I listened to them describe what learning English had meant in their lives. It would be easy to reduce ESOL classes to simply language instruction for immigrants—but these classes are so much more than that.  They are a gateway to connection, self-expression, better jobs, and more education. They foster belonging, friendships, relationships, and a kind of freedom that only language can provide. For many learners, these classes are truly life-changing, as many of the student speakers described. And the fact that these classes were so meaningful to them is a testament to the care and quality of instruction that JSSA and its instructors have provided. As each speaker shared their story, I thought back to my own English-learning journey. I could relate strongly to their experiences: the feeling of isolation, the frustration of not being able to say the simplest things, the fear of picking up the phone, the avoidance and anxiety around engaging with others. And the feeling of sometimes being reduced to “someone who doesn’t speak English” – as if that’s all there was to me. Learning English is a way out of those limitations. It gives learners the chance to grow, to build relationships, and to show who they really are. Congratulations to the graduates!