A writing teacher for fourth- and fifth-grade ESOL students at West Gate Elementary School in West Palm Beach, Samta Khanna expects her students to succeed. Because she sets the highest goals for them, she gets her students to surpass expectations and score top marks on writing tests. Ms. Khanna uses shadow plays to integrate language skills and provide an alternative method of monitoring and assessing the progress of second-language learners. She developed and executed a community mural project at her school, implemented a scaffolding writing process and developed a series of survival seminars for teachers new to the district from other countries. A National Board Certified teacher, Ms. Khanna recruits and supports teachers undergoing the certification process. She is a member of the Palm Beach County Teachers Guild.
