Hosting an eclectic mix of children of different backgrounds, cultures, and personalities, Ms. Jenny Stone stands proudly at the forefront of her ESL classroom. With Westwood containing one of the most diverse student bodies in the district, and nearly seven percent of students speaking English as a second language, Ms. Stone aims to build an environment inclusive to everyone.

Ms. Stone’s passion for languages started at a young age, with both her mother and grandmother being language teachers. Her ardent interest for languages eventually manifested through her spending her senior year of high school in Spain. 

“[My time in Spain] was difficult at first. I was excited to have an adventure, [but] I’d never traveled abroad before. I had this opportunity and was excited, [and] I [wasn’t] sure what to expect,” Ms. Stone said. “I approached it really trying to be open to everything. I think that perspective helped me to adjust, [and] it was helpful that Spain was a really fun country and I was with fun classmates. There were times that I was homesick, [and I missed] hearing English around me, but overall [it] was a great experience.” 

Ms. Stone’s love for languages followed her to Trinity University, where she pursued a major in Spanish and a minor in English, and later to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her master’s degree in Foreign Language Education. Beginning her teaching journey soon after, Ms. Stone then taught Spanish for 15 years. However, she felt her combined love of languages and teaching would be best expressed another way.

“After having taught Spanish for 15 years, I was ready for a new challenge, and I had thought about teaching ESL for a long time,” Ms. Stone said. “I have huge respect for our Emergent Bilingual students at Westwood. High school is hard as is, but navigating everything in a new culture and language takes it to a whole other level.”

Recognizing the inherent difficulties of being an ESL student, Ms. Stone consistently reminices of her time in Spain to put herself in her students’ shoes. 

“[Since] I lived my day-to-day life with a second language surrounding me, I definitely understand how taxing [being an ESL student] is,” Ms. Stone said. “[It takes a lot of energy to] be in an environment where you’re not surrounded by your first language. I can really understand the challenges they’re up against, [and] I try to give my students some fun and light activities to give them a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.