Last month, the Cornwall Central Teachers Association (CCTA) announced its educator of the year - Chrysanthe Gianiodis, an English as a Native Language (ENL) teacher at Cornwall High School.

“Chrysanthe exemplifies everything we value in an educator - tenacity, compassion, and an unwavering dedication to student success,” CCTA president John Hines said in making the announcement. “Her tireless work to support our English Language Learners goes far beyond academics. She is a trusted adult, an advocate, and a guiding light for our students who often need the most care and attention. Despite managing a schedule that would exhaust most, Chrysanthe seamlessly moves from room to room, translates materials into multiple languages, scaffolds complex lessons, and offers constant emotional and academic support. She does it all with grace, positivity, and a bright smile. She teaches her students not only English, but also the academic content required in their high school courses while seamlessly integrating essential life skills that help them thrive both in and out of the classroom. To so many students, Chrysanthe is more than a teacher - she’s a lifeline. We are thrilled to recognize her with this much-deserved honor.”

At a young age, Gianiodis had a passion for helping people. She believed everyone should have a voice and especially enjoyed assisting her peers in getting their messages across to others. When she was in college, deciding on a career path, she began exploring ways she could continue doing that and settled on pursuing education.

“I realized through teaching I would get to work one on one with young people and encourage them to use their voice, find their voice, and remember their voice as well,” said Gianiodis. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, Gianiodis found herself taking on leadership positions within small clubs and did a lot of community outreach including collecting winter coats for the less fortunate and conducting multiple animal food drives.

“I was always drawn to bringing attention to people and animals who needed someone to speak up for them. I would say that was embedded in me early on at the age of nine or ten. Growing up I had friends of all different cultural backgrounds. I tried to help them learn English, spoke up for them, and was a form of support.”

Gianiodis attended SUNY New Paltz where she earned her bachelor’s degree in teaching social studies to students in grades seven through twelve. She continued at New Paltz and went on to earn her master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Gianiodis is also nationally board certified to teach any grade.

While in graduate school, Gianiodis held a substitute teaching/leave replacement position within the Newburgh City Enlarged School District. In Sept. 2017, she earned a job in Cornwall and has been teaching in the district full time ever since.

As an ENL teacher, the job is multifaceted. Her position entails supporting students in both the standalone class setting, as well as the push-in class setting based on the students’ proficiency levels. Working with students from all over the world, Gianiodis helps them reach their academic goals by making the content more accessible to them. This could require translating material or modifying the content. She also has to determine what type of academic and social background her students have because everyone is coming into the district with different life experiences.

She said some students arrive with strong study skills while others never got to experience or learn that in their home countries. Others are not accustomed to using a computer and she has to work with them from the beginning, teaching the students how to type and access Google documents.

“I am also doing my best to support students emotionally and make them feel welcomed and safe. Many are coming to the states with stories, leaving terrible/difficult situations in their home countries. Many are living here without immediate family. Some are meeting aunts and uncles for the first time. It can be very difficult coming here for the first time by themselves and having to be a teen and learn the language and be in school. I do my best to support them emotionally and culturally, so they feel safe. That’s one of my top priorities. When we feel safe it is easier for us to learn.”

Gianiodis doesn’t just work with students coming into the country. Some have transferred from other districts and have been identified as English Language Learners. Although they speak many different languages including Spanish, French, Creole, Japanese, Ukrainian, and Mandarin, Gianiodis is thankful for technology which aids in translation. Some students arrive and don’t speak right away, but there are other forms of communication which come in handy.

“Something as simple as a smile can be understood in all cultures. We may not speak the same language, but they can feel when you want them there and they know they’re safe and welcome. That makes all the difference.”

Depending on a student’s proficiency level, Gianiodis will either see them in her standalone ENL class or will push into one of their core classes like science, math, English, or social studies. She works with them in small groups to build their content knowledge, linguistic skills, and academic knowledge as well. Gianiodis said it’s an incredible feeling when a student is able to test out of her program.

“It’s absolutely incredible to watch students blossom and acquire more language. It’s beautiful to see them confident enough to practice their speaking skills. A big part of learning a language is feeling safe enough to express yourself. I am so proud of them.”

When the union presidents announced she had been named educator of the year, Gianiodis was ecstatic. “I feel immensely grateful. I’m just in a state of appreciation. I feel really lucky to work in the Cornwall School District. I’m thankful for my students, my colleagues, the administration and the district as a whole.”

When she’s not in the classroom, Gianiodis enjoys writing and spending time in nature, especially being near the trees or the ocean.