ESL Instructor
Resume:
Pete Zagone
Cypress, TX *****
ad5cpp@r.postjobfree.com
OBJECTIVE
To obtain a teaching position that builds literacy in English and promotes civic engagement; to ensure that all students reach their academic and professional goals.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Lone Star College
Harris County Department of Education January 2023 - Present
Bonding Against Adversity, Houston, TX
ESOL and Citizenship Instructor
●Plan lessons and instruct F2F and online English classes for ELLs of various proficiency levels (NRS 1-6; CEFR A1-C2) for both credit and non-credit classes
●Design and instruct F2F citizenship classes, including a hybrid online component, to cover all 4 components of the USCIS Naturalization Test
●Use a pedagogical approach with rigorous concentration on N-400 listening/speaking intensity to help students gain confidence needed to pass this part of the test
●Utilize various curricula, online platforms, and apps to keep learners interested and engaged during lessons and to encourage study outside the classroom
●Utilize, apply, and expanded the implementation of Burlington English and Ventures, the core curricula for ESOL instruction at Lone Star and HCDE
●Create and develop dynamic lessons to meet learning outcomes and objectives
●Administer BEST Plus 2.0 and CASAS evaluation/exams to determine student development and to target instruction
●Adapt course material to meet the learning goals of students to make course more relevant to student particular needs and goals
●Initiated the development of an English for Specific Purposes course to address employment seekers for the construction and landscaping industries
Memorial Assistance Ministries, Houston, TX
Adult Literacy Volunteer Teacher/Trainer September 2021- January 2023
●Instructed ESL, Citizenship, and Digital Literacy classes for students of NRS Levels 1-6 (CEFR A1-C2)
●Designed training program for volunteer instructors from ground up - covering lesson planning, curriculum overview, and use of classroom technology
●Developed continuing education of instructors through community partners and networks (TCALL, COABE, Literacy Texas Conference, Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy)
●Redesigned instructional delivery of citizenship classes to address low-proficient ELLs to pass the the USCIS Naturalization Test
●Adapted content of curriculum and supplemented to make material relevant to learning goals
●Effectively managed classrooms of various sizes; followed up with students needing 1:1 instructional support
●Used task-based instructional techniques to help students quickly build language competence in all 4 skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, writing)
ESL & Citizenship Program Manager January 2015- September 2021
●Administered program serving over 800 students and 60 volunteer teachers each semester
●Ensured that curriculum was properly being used to address core competency development and gains on BEST Plus 2.0 and CASAS assessments
●Worked with staff to design an efficient registration process to register and test as many students as possible for enrollment
●Formed a focus group of key teachers to select a new curriculum and negotiated with various book publishers for the lowest cost
●Supervised and trained volunteer teachers; conducted orientations and ongoing teacher development focusing on tasked-based learning techniques so students quickly built competencies and achieved goals
●Redesigned citizenship program to address low-proficient ELLs with contextualized English instruction of US civics necessary to pass the Naturalization Test
●Led an initiative of AEL providers in Houston to win the XPrize Adult Literacy Communities Competition (November 2019); was presented an award of $50,000 at the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation Summit in Washington, D.C.
●Coordinated a collaborative of 30 Houston-Area AEL providers to collectively address the literacy needs of the City of Houston; organized efforts to work with the new Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy (MOAL) to address new demands for digital, health, and financial literacy
●Hosted leaders/trainers in the field of AEL and ESL instruction for the continued development of teachers to ensure that classroom instruction helped students learn English faster and attain goals for getting better jobs
EDUCATION
Texas A&M University December 1995
Bachelor of Business Administration (Management)
Certification in English Language Teaching (CELTA) July 2019
Cambridge University Accredited TESOL Certification
Teaching House, Houston
Sam Houston State University August 2025
Master of Education in TESOL (expected graduation date)
SKILLS
Bilingual English/Spanish
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
LMS: Google Classroom, D2L, Blackboard
Remind School Communication app
Epson Interactive Projectors
Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) Database
MS Teams, TWC Teams, Sharepoint, OneDrive
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