Maria Granado

Maria teaches Newcomer Academy, an English language immersion program for English language learners who have just moved to the U.S., at Abell Junior High School. She has been teaching since 2004.

I welcome students from all over the world.

Midland is enrolling a lot of students from different countries. If I'm not mistaken, there are currently over 40 languages spoken in Midland, mainly because of the work opportunity in the oil industry. I have students from Mexico, Cuba, Iraq, Burma, Samoa, and Puerto Rico. These students require a different approach to teaching—not watered-down assignments, just different strategies—and that’s where I step in. It can be difficult work, but I can't imagine doing anything else.

I love watching my students make such big strides.

It’s really rewarding to see students come to this country not knowing a word of English and progress in a such a big way.  One of my former students just invited me to her college graduation—she’s becoming an ESL teacher! Another student became a photographer and has won a couple of photography competitions.