Churchill Teacher Helps Break Down Language Barriers
When Heather Itle starts her seventh year as a teacher next week, she’ll be traveling to three schools each day. That number barely compares to the list of languages she’ll hear once she arrives: Cantonese, German, Hindi, Spanish and Vietnamese, just to name a few.
Itle, 31, of Churchill teaches English as a Second Language for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. During her five years there, she has worked in nine school districts, mostly throughout the South Hills and Mon Valley. “Almost for every individual student, they come with their own language,” Itle said. “It’s challenging, but because of the fact you’re working with much smaller groups, you have a lot more time and energy to devote to those students’ needs.”
