BRI Teacher Fellow Wants To Help Her ESOL Students
<p>Since Bridget Jordan is fascinated by the complexity of the human brain, she grew up wanting to be a brain surgeon. However, she soon discovered a trait that made her aspirations impossible.</p>
<p>“I quickly discovered I fainted at the sight of blood,” she said. So, Jordan turned to the other constant in her life, which was her love of working with children. While studying to become an elementary school teacher at the University of Maryland — Baltimore County, she had a teacher internship and interacted with a student who inspired her to further make a difference in her students’ lives.</p>
<p>“I asked one of my students what she wanted to be when she grew up,” Jordan said. “Her answer amazed me — she said, ‘an optometrist.’ When I asked why, she explained, ‘Many people where I’m from cannot get glasses. If I do this job, I can bring glasses back to people in my country.’</p>
<p>Jordan then enrolled in UMBC’s master’s program in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). She is currently an ESOL teacher at Baltimore Highlands Elementary School in Baltimore, MD.</p>
<p>Jordan was introduced to the Bill of Rights Institute when she searched for professional development opportunities beyond those available in her area. She learned about BRI’s <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/teacher-fellowship">Teacher Fellowship program</a> and was drawn to its focus on supporting educators in teaching foundational principles and fostering civic engagement.</p>
<p>“As an educator teaching English as a Second Language (ESOL), I constantly face the challenge of making complex concepts accessible and engaging for my students, many of whom come from diverse cultural backgrounds and struggle to connect with traditional curriculum materials, especially in subjects like civics and American history,” Jordan said.</p>
<p>BRI’s Teacher Fellowship allowed Jordan to deepen her understanding of civics and civic education while also thinking of innovative ways for her students to achieve their goals. After meeting with other BRI Teacher Fellows, Jordan said she “not only [grew] as a teacher but also contributed to a community of educators dedicated to promoting civic literacy and engagement.”</p>
<p>“The Fellowship has been transformative in equipping me to better support my students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to actively participate in a democratic society,” she said.</p>
<p>Jordan noted that she frequently uses BRI’s primary sources analyses, discussion guides, and interactive activities focused on foundational American principles like the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.</p>
<p>“It helped build background knowledge for my multilingual learners to prepare them for more active engagement in their homeroom social studies class discussions,” she said. “I expanded on this by breaking down the Bill of Rights to emphasize vocabulary development, focusing on multiple-meaning words that can be challenging for these students.”</p>
<p>Jordan is also part of a fellowship program with education publisher Scholastic, which allows her to tailor her lessons to meet the needs of her students.</p>
<p>She said civics education allows Jordan’s students to feel seen, heard, and valued while navigating and learning about a new language, culture, and society.</p>
<p>“My goal is to create a supportive and inclusive environment where every student feels empowered to participate in classroom discussions, build language skills through social studies content, and reflect on their values,” Jordan said. “Civics education is an opportunity to nurture empathy, respect, and inclusion in the classroom.”</p>