Filipno English teacher gets award from New York Times

He is not only their mentor, he is their first friend in a strange land.



By Kristine L. Alave, Philippine Daily Inquirer.



MANILA, Philippines—There are times when the classroom of Feliciano Jaime “Chito” Atienza, who teaches English to immigrants, seems less of a classroom and more a United Nations peace panel.
In Atienza’s class in Queens, New York, culture-shocked (and sometimes shell-shocked) students who speak zero English not only master a new language, they are also helped by people they consider their enemies back in their motherland.
Atienza, winner of The New York Times 2008 English for Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) Teacher of the Year award, has been teaching English to immigrants for two decades. He recalls one class where Afghans and Russians glared at each other. There were also students, fresh from their war-ravaged Bosnia, who refused to speak to one another.
“The class was divided into two. You can really feel their hatred toward each other,” he says.
With some coaxing, the warring classmates set aside their past grief and became friends. After all, they were Americans now, he reminded them.
Students poured their hearts out to Atienza, the first Filipino and immigrant to receive the award. A Hispanic man lost his job and found a new one thanks to his teacher’s intervention.
More recently, because of Atienza’s class, a Tibetan and a Chinese bonded over the recent clashes in Lhasa. Said the Chinese to the Tibetan, who was worried sick about her family: “I’m sorry.”
These little dramas, played out in Atienza’s classroom in the Queens Library and in the YMCA Center, underscore his ability to reach out to his students. The classroom is not just a place of learning, but also a place for healing.
He is not only their mentor, he is their first friend in a strange land.
Atienza, who studied at De La Salle University, says his method is a blend of linguistic techniques and compassion which he describes as very Filipino and very Christian.
Atienza is a member of the Focolare Movement, which is known for living a certain Gospel verse each month. He visited the Philippines late last month and spoke with the Inquirer.
Atienza says he helps his students learn the English alphabet by “importing” kindergarten textbooks from Manila which teach basic letter construction.
He recommends that his students read anything written in English like newspapers, lottery tickets and restaurant menus.
Atienza swears by a tried-and-tested method of compassion and kindness. He calls this method “skinship.”
“Skinship is a methodology, a teaching approach underpinned by genuine love and concern for students. Its techniques are numerous: A warm smile, a sincere handshake, an encouraging nod, an open and tolerant mind, a word of praise for pronouncing thank you perfectly,” he says.
“What are these but building blocks of hope—the very foundations of trust? In the Esol classroom, without trust, without compassion, without love, there is no meaningful learning,” he adds..................



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