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. 

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