Board Members
TESL Ontario Board Members
Chair: Sheila Nicholas
Vice-Chair: Sheila Carson
Treasurer: Sharon Rajabi
Secretary: Arlene Samlalsingh
Sheila Nicholas 2009-2012
Sheila has held a number of positions with TESL Ontario. She started as the Affiliate Director for TESL Waterloo-Wellington in 2001. She was also the president of TESL Waterloo-Wellington for a year. She sat on the Certification Committee while she was Affiliate Director. She became the Chair of the Certification Committee in 2005. After her term was completed, she became the Chair of TESL Training Institute Recognition Committee until its dissolution earlier this year. In addition to her volunteer work at TESL Ontario, Sheila has been the chair of the ESL/FSL/LINC Committee of Association for Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA )since 2006. She currently sits on the Ontario Region LINC Advisory Committee (ORLAC) and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Advisory Committee representing CESBA . She was also on the planning committee for the first two LINC Administrators' conferences. She currently also sits on the Standards Committee of TESL Canada. Sheila has been the LINC and ESL Coordinator for the Wellington Centre for Continuing Education, Upper Grand District School Board since 2000. Prior to that she was an ESL/LINC instructor with special interest in ESL Literacy as well as English for Academic Purposes.
Sheila Carson 2008-2010
Sheila is the past Chair of TESL Ontario and has served on the Board of Directors since 2005. She is employed with the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario as Adult ESL/LINC Coordinator. Sheila has been involved in the field of Adult ESL for over 15 years, both as a classroom instructor and Site Lead, prior to accepting the administration role in 2002. She has chaired numerous committees, been involved in curriculum development, CALL delivery, Canadian Language Benchmark implementation and TESL training. Sheila was actively involved with the TESL London Affiliate as Adult and LINC representatives, Membership Secretary, President and Affiliate Director.
Sharon Rajabi 2009-2010
Sharon Rajabi has been involved in the field of ESL/EFL for over twenty years. She has served on TESL Ontario board since 2000 and is currently Past President and chairs the Public Relations Committee.
Sharon's interest is in the application of technology in Second Language Acquisition and its impact on communication and second language learning. She works for the Toronto Catholic District School Board as a Consultant and has been a frequent presenter at TESOL, TESL Canada and TESL Ontario conferences as well as local conferences. Sharon is the co-author of LINC 4&5 Curriculum Guidelines (1999) and CALL: A Software Guide for the LINC Classroom (2000), both sponsored by CIC Ontario Region. She recently published Step Forward Canada Books 1 & 2 (2007) by Oxford University Press.
Arlene Samlalsingh 2008-2011
Arlene Samlalsingh received a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Administration and Information Management in 1992 from Ryerson Polytechnic University and then spent the next 10 years working for IBM Canada Ltd in various project related positions. While at IBM she had many opportunities to lead training sessions and it was during these times that she discovered that she enjoyed teaching.
With her experience in travel and desire to work with people in a teaching relationship, Arlene became TESL Ontario certified in 2005. She has taught intermediate and advanced English for Academic Purposes at George Brown College as well as Communication Skills for professionals who are speakers of English as a Second Language in corporate environments.
Arlene holds a Master of Education (Adult Education) from OISE at the University of Toronto.
Husband Louie tries his very best to save daughters Alexandria, 8 and Elizabeth, 5 from kitchen table grammar lessons.....
Barbara Krukowski 2009-2012
Barb Krukowski has worked in the delivery of LINC and ESL for 20 years, initially in the classroom then moving into supervisory roles. She is currently Manager of Languages and Newcomer Services for The Centre for Skills Development & Training, an affiliate of Halton District School Board. As a LINC Coordinator, Barb currently chairs both the Halton and Peel LINC Partnerships and has chaired the Peel Halton LINC Operations Committee. She has served on the executive of CESBA (Ontario Association of Continuing Education School Board Administrators); her local Peel, Halton, Etobicoke TESL Affiliate; and the TESL Ontario Board where she is currently Chair of the TESL Ontario Conference. Barb represents CESBA on ORLAC (Ontario Region LINC Advisory Committee) which she Co-chairs.
Jennifer Freudenthal 2008-2010
Jennifer Freudenthal is an ESL and Core French teacher at Kipling Collegiate Institute, a high school in the Toronto District School Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and Psychology as well as a Master of Education specializing in TESOL, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has also taught ESL in the private school sector to both children and university students in New York State, as well as EFL in the Czech Republic. Jennifer has been a member-at-large on TESL Ontario's Executive board since 2006 and is excited to continue working with the newly restructured TESL Ontario board on behalf of English language learners and teachers across the province.
Anouchka Plumb 2008-2011
Anouchka Plumb arrived to Windsor, Ontario at the age of 5 speaking only French. As she embarked on her elementary education she recalls the challenges of learning how to function in a ‘foreign' culture using a new language. As a result, she believes that it is imperative to consider such variables experienced by learners when designing and/or implementing curriculum.
Anouchka went on to complete an Honours undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of Windsor. She further continued her studies by obtaining her Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degrees. Her Masters Thesis "Communicative Language Teaching in an EAP Program: A Study of International Students' English Language Acquisition" focused on exploring learner perspectives regarding effective language learning methodologies. Currently Anouchka is pursing her Doctoral degree in Education.
Concurrent to pursing post-graduate studies, she has taught for several years as an ESL Instructor with the University of Windsor and understands the complexities involved when designing, teaching, evaluating, and researching in the field of ESL/EAL. Anouchka is committed to understanding the challenges involved in second language education and looks forward to contributing her knowledge while also learning from the TESL Board and its members.
Phil Wachel 2008-2011
Phil Wachel worked as a LINC teacher for the past 7 years teaching a range of levels. He holds a B. Ed. (TESL) from Brock University and a B. Ed.(Primary / Junior) from Nipissing University. Phil is also certified as a CLBPT Assessor. He was TESL Niagara's Membership Secretary from 2004 - 2009.
Currently, Phil sits on the Accreditation Standards Committee.
Phil is married to April and they have a 4 year old daughter, Eva.Eva.
Marilyn Johnston OTC 2009-2012
Watching adult students settle into their new life and language is something I can relate to as I also moved from town to town. Learning French as second language as an adult helps too. I started my ESL career in Ottawa and attended my first TESL meeting with the Ottawa Affiliate. Later I moved to Windsor and got involved with TESL Windsor with my workmates. I followed their footsteps to the Windsor Executive and on to Toronto as an Affiliate Director. Later I joined the TESL Ontario Board. Last year I worked on the Public Relations Committee. I hope my years of experience as an Instructor and Assessor with the Greater Essex County DSB will help TESL ON with the new delivery of adult ESL for school boards in Ontario. TESL Windsor is a small, close knit group so I feel well able to represent workers from LINC, College and University ESL programs. I attended the University of Guelph, took teacher's college in Hamilton and followed with ESL at the University of Windsor. My husband, Jim, also a Guelph alumni, and I visited U. of G. many times with our two boys. They too decided to attend the University of Guelph. I am looking forward to working on the TESL Ontario Board of Directors.