By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – When a national organization focusing on providing services to English language learner students and teachers sent out its email newsletter on Sept. 2, some Alabaster residents may have noticed a familiar name in the top story.

“They’re just a fantastic resource we use on an ongoing basis,” Meadow View Elementary School ELL teacher Susan Clarke said during a Sept. 8 interview. “Who knew they feature teachers from across the world.”

Over the summer, Alabaster City Schools Federal Programs Specialist Karen Hill nominated Clarke to be the featured educator for the Wisconsin-based WIDA organization, which supports programs for ELL students across the nation.

After hearing Clarke’s story, WIDA scheduled a phone interview with her to learn more about her teaching methods, and made her the organization’s featured educator for September.

During the interview, Clarke explained how she strives to create a comfortable, safe environment for her students, and how she encourages all of her students to embrace their differences.

“I think it is important for them to know who they are, where they came from, their parents’ experiences, their experiences and compare and contrast these,” Clarke said in the interview. “I let them know that no matter who they are, where they came from or what language they speak, we all have so many similarities and differences to embrace.”

Clarke has been teaching for 25 years, has been at MVES for 14 years and has been teaching English as a second language classes at the school for nine years. She is only the second Alabama teacher to become a WIDA featured educator, according to Alabama Department of Education specialist Susan Beard.

Since ACS sent Clarke and a few other Alabaster teachers to a WIDA conference in Atlanta in October 2014, the organization has had a significant impact in Clarke’s classroom, she said.

“Everything I said in the interview was honest and true,” Clarke said. “I hope to represent Meadow View Elementary School and Alabaster City Schools in a very good light. Alabaster is really moving toward excellence for all students.”

Clarke touted her students for their eagerness to learn, and praised ACS for supporting ESL students.

“They are so eager to learn, it’s a pleasure to teach them,” Clarke said. “I believe our community and schools have embraced families with more than one language in their lives.”