Education All-Stars: Rolf Metral, from ELL student to innovator

There are many nuances to the life of the ELL student. Someone who experienced this firsthand is Rolf Metral, who currently teaches fifth grade at Manatee Elementary School in Naples, Fla.

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Metral came stateside knowing no English. While he struggled initially at school, he also experienced a familiar scenario that leaves such students feeling solitary and lost. As much as his parents wanted him to get a good education, they were unable to communicate with his teachers, let alone understand the curriculum.

Today, Metral is committed to changing that dynamic with an innovative after-school program for parents where he teaches them technology and English.

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“I immigrated at age 7 and went through the language learning process,” Metral told VOXXI. “The frustration of not being able to communicate has been a personal experience of mine. The one thing, I always was the translator. You have a lot of first generations coming into our country where the student becomes the translator.

“Unfortunately, that’s a positive and a negative. It was a positive to the point where you can help in certain situations but we are kids and what a teacher may have said, I may have twisted some words. In that perspective, I feel like I’m serving these parents to say, ‘Hey, your child may not always be telling 100 percent of what’s happening.’ It has come full circle with me.”

Early on while teaching at Manatee Elementary School, Metral realized the parent communication gap was a huge detriment affecting everything from not understanding a grading scale to the types of technology that were available to their students.

Then two years ago Metral received a grant to provide after-school instruction to all interested Manatee Elementary School parents. The only question was whether mothers and fathers of ELL parents would take advantage of the program.

“It’s interesting, the first day they’re afraid to turn a computer on,” Metral said. “Then, you get to see the growth. By the end of class not only can they do web searches and use different programs to help their students such as Word and Powerpoint, but they can monitor their students’ online usage with social media.”

So far, upwards of 30 parents have taken advantage of the program, with some currently in their second year. Metral said the results are impressive for not only the parents but students as well.

“The last 20 minutes of my class I bring in the students with their parents where I allow the student to take a teacher approach to their parents,” Metral said. “So you see a connection where the student is showing mom and dad how they are doing. You actually do see the fruits of your labor.”

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Metral’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. He’s currently a finalist in the national Major League Baseball, Target and PEOPLE “All-Star Teachers” program, which celebrates current and retired teachers who make an impact on the lives of their students and communities.

It’s ironic that Metral is getting recognition from Major League Baseball considering professional baseball was his dream for the majority of his life. It took a knee injury to end his college baseball career and put him on the path that led him to Manatee Elementary School.

“I got to play college baseball, which was a great experience, but one of the things my parents told me was don’t ever give up on your education,” Metral said. “And I didn’t, so I’m exactly where I need to be.”