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Welcome from the K-12 Editor 

By Kendra Castelow, Ed.S. 
Houston County (Georgia) Board of Education 

k12gatesolinaction@gmail.com  
 
 
Hello Fellow Educators! 

We know you have a story to tell or knowledge to share.  People want to know about 

your expertise and how you have grown professionally.  As an ESOL teacher, I have met 

families from all over the world, helped students to develop survival skills in this Western 

culture, and used my Spanish to help students to make connections between their native 

language and the language of their academic content.  More specifically, I have conducted 

professional development classes for K-12 teachers, presented at state-level conferences, 

and conducted research about the culturally proficient teacher and the ESOL student.  In 

addition, I have encouraged mainstream teachers to improve upon their pedagogical 

content knowledge so that they might more insightfully use their curriculum guides.  Also, I 

have initiated cultural celebrations that showcased important contributions of prominent 

figures from that cultural community.  These celebrations provided tips and strategies to 

help the English Language Learner improve their English and enlightened families and 

other members of my community about the intricacies of US-born and immigrant students.  

As a GATESOL Regional Liaison, I met with wonderful educators from the K-12, 

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university/college, and retired sectors.   We discussed the mission and vision of GATESOL, 

their experiences with culturally diverse populations, and policies and procedures that are 

in place to ensure equity in our educational systems.  As a result, networks were 

established and morale increased.  

Reflect upon your own story.  Have you had teachable moments in your classrooms 

that sparked an interest to engage families and to further your own education?  Have you 

participated in professional development sessions that equipped you to initiate a new 

strategy or to re-vamp an old one?  Have you taken an endorsement class or completed a 

degree that caused you to conduct quantitative or qualitative research?  I want to 

encourage you to write about these things and your contributions that benefit multilingual 

and multicultural communities.  Your research, strategies, and insight can increase the 

morale of your fellow K-12 educators and all other stakeholders.  Start here with us at 

GATESOL in Action Journal. 

I am available to help you work on any submissions, and please feel free to let me 

know if you need anything. 

Your Partner in Education, 

Kendra M. Castelow, Ed.S. 
K-12 Editor 
GATESOL In Action Journal 

 

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