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“Our Teachers: Their Story” with ESL Teacher Mr. Emiliano Gamboa
First day of teaching in the classroom for any new teacher can feel overwhelming and uncertain. Adult Education teacher Mr. Emiliano Gamboa encountered the opposite. “It felt natural and it felt like everything fell into place,” Mr. Gamboa said when asked to recall his first day in the classroom. The calmness of that day had set the tone for Mr. Gamboa and his teaching style.
Mr. Gamboa is the ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for Rock Hill Schools Adult & Community Education. As the largest adult education program in York County, its programs exist to help the adults and families of Rock Hill. The ESL program and Mr. Gamboa’s class is designed to help students wanting to improve their proficiency in English.
Languages have always been a part of Mr. Gamboa’s life. In Chicago, he grew up bilingual, speaking Spanish in his household and English in school. With family in Costa Rica and Mexico, pre-pandemic, he traveled to visit them when he had the opportunity. “Getting to travel to these Spanish-speaking areas is great,” Mr. Gamboa said, “I like to get out of my comfort zone and of course spend time with my family.” Speaking about his grandmother, specifically, brings an undoubtedly noticeable change in his demeanor. “My grandma is a very big person in my life. She has set an example for me as to what a good person is,” Mr. Gamboa said with endearment, “No matter the situation, she is friendly to whoever she comes across. She is such a kind person.”
The reflection of Mr. Gamboa’s grandmother within him is an easy connection for an outsider to see. Students are always thankful and grateful of his lessons and teachings. “Students tell me they are appreciative,” Mr. Gamboa said, “And that reassures me the importance of the job I am doing.” The time and care that Mr. Gamboa dedicates to his lessons are for the benefits (and enjoyment!) of the students. In addition to traditional textbooks, he takes a creative approach to lesson plans incorporating interactive dialogue exercises, newspaper readings, and debate topics. “I want students to get a lot of use from what they are learning in my class,” he said, “Being a new teacher it is a great opportunity to make the lessons my own, start fresh with my own ideas, be creative in the classroom while providing these valuable services to the community.”
His lessons, taught in English, focus on the goal of helping students practice speaking in English as much as they can. He believes strengthening English skills is done by engaging students in conversation activities centered around personal stories and anecdotes. “I have a bucket full of conversation prompts,” Mr. Gamboa said, “These get the students to speak naturally about topics they are knowledgeable about.”
Mr. Gambao didn’t always know he wanted to teach English as an ESL teacher. “I’m big into music,” he said. Mr. Gambao plays music on the side – bass in his church band, guitar in his free time, and he used to play the French horn in high school and college. With music being a big part of his life, he considered becoming a music teacher before focusing on Spanish studies and ESL classes at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.
With his kindness & enthusiasm, Mr. Gamboa will certainly leave an impact with his students and within the Rock Hill community. But Mr. Gamboa is beyond humble and doesn’t want the focus on him. When asked how he wants to be remembered by students he said: “I don’t want them to think back on me and think of me. I don’t want them to think of me; I want them to instead think of the class. To think about what they learned, strategies that are helping them, or when they get through a difficult section when reading. I want them to feel good when they are speaking English with someone and feel confident about that. I want them to be able to communicate with their family and friends, and to interact with community members. So, no, I don’t want them to think of me… just on what they learned.”