In Maryland, search online for these organizations:

• MCAEL (Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy)
• WATESOL (Washington DC TESOL, but many of the active members are in the DC metro area)
• MDTESOL (Maryland TESOL)
• MAACCE (Maryland Association for Adult, Community and Continuing Education)
• Idealist.org
• Teacher training institutions

You can also see if you might get your ad into newsletters of organizations, including social service agencies and faithbased groups, in your area. Be sure you post it on any social media you have or those of groups in your area.

■ What are some questions I can ask potential instructors?

For everyone:

♦ QUESTION: What do you know about our program?
This is a good way to find out how much they have looked into the program and can allow you to tell them more about what you do. It can also help to focus the interview and tell you if they are really interested in the job.

♦ QUESTION: The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3–5 p.m. and runs through the end of May. Are you able to commit during that time?
Continuity is a vital part of student retention. If a teacher often needs a sub or leaves before the end of the session, it will have a negative impact on overall student attendance and retention. ESOL students seem to become particularly attached to their teacher.

For people who are new to the ESOL field:

♦ QUESTION: Why are you interested in teaching ESOL?
Teaching a class isn’t easy. The answer should show some commitment, not just that they want something to do.

♦ QUESTION: Have you ever learned another language? What were some things your instructors did that you would like to do in your class? What are some things you would not do?
This will give you an idea if they know the struggles of your students. We also often teach the way we learned. That can be both helpful and not so much! If the answer is “yes” to the above question, you can follow up to ask if they learned the language while living in another country or working with those who came from the other culture. Since part of learning English as an immigrant to the U.S. is effectively navigating new systems (i.e., integration), it will be helpful to know if they have done this themselves and how that might impact how they will approach instruction.

♦ QUESTION: What in your experience will help you to do this job?
This can let you know if the candidate has experience in teaching overall or training of adults, and that they can use what they learned in the classroom. 

For those who have training and/or experience:

♦ QUESTION: Tell me about your teaching style. You’ll want to know if they have one. Does it focus on students’ needs and interests?

♦  QUESTION: Describe a lesson plan you have used. You can consider if it is organized well, if it has students interacting with each other or if it is mostly the students talking. Ask yourself if this is a lesson you think students would enjoy and benefit from.

♦ QUESTION: What kind of materials do you use in class?
Consider if they go beyond just going through the textbook/workbook. Do they use realia (real objects), other handouts, smartphones? Are they being creative?

♦ QUESTION: What is your favorite thing about teaching ESOL to adults?

■ What can be done to retain instructors?

Besides treating them with respect and giving them the opportunity for challenging, exciting work, there are a number of strategies that have been found to be successful:

• Provide a comprehensive orientation about what instructors need to do, how to do it, and what the expectations of the job are.
• Assign new teachers to a mentor instructor who can answer any questions. This will keep new instructors informed and supported and older instructors engaged and feeling valued.
• If possible, provide compensation, preferably at a competitive rate. If you do not have the budget to provide hourly wages, or this does not align with your organization’s approach, consider a stipend or gift of some sort.
• Do team building activities, such as a happy hour. 
• Be sure there is solid communication and reach out to them in many ways: emails, texts, meetings, an opendoor policy.
• Provide opportunities for professional development for instructors. (See the section on that in this toolkit.)
• If possible, provide compensation. Learning new things will keep things fresh and help them to deal with burnout.
• Talk to the teachers to find out what levels they like to teach or if they like a variety of levels. Talk to them about projects they want to do or innovative practices they are trying and might be interested in sharing with others.
• Offer other roles to instructors if they are interested in doing other things.
• Give praise! Not just a “thanks for your work,” but make them feel valued by being specific about what they did well and how it helped the program and the students. You can see if there is any passion for what they do. Teaching English to adults is fun! Their answer should demonstrate that. The hope is that enthusiasm with manifest itself in the classroom.