Auburn ENL teacher Brandon Keysor honored by Mid-State at OCM BOCES

For Brandon Keysor, teaching ENL (English as a New Language) in the Auburn Enlarged City School District is not only a way to help students learn English; it improves their lives.

Keysor was recognized for his efforts when he was named the Mid-State RBERN (Regional Bilingual Education Resource Networks) at OCM BOCES Teacher of the Month for April. 

Michelle Kolceski, the district’s director of Early Learning and ENL, nominated Keysor for the award.

“Brandon is so devoted to his students’ success,” she said. “He is conscientious about his work. It's always good quality. He really will go above and beyond just to make sure it's the best possible scenario for each and every student of his.” 

“Your dedication to supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) and your commitment to fostering positive relationships between your students and their peers are truly inspiring,” said Tanya Rosado-Barringer, the Executive Director and Coordinator for the Mid-State Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network. “You go above and beyond to ensure that your students feel empowered and confident as self-advocates in their learning, which is a testament to your passion and skill as an educator. Your leadership and contributions extend far beyond the classroom. You have consistently demonstrated your commitment to advancing the field of ENL education.”

Keysor appreciates the recognition from Mid-State.

“It was nice to see that all the things that I had been doing throughout my time in Auburn were things that not only Auburn thought was valuable, but that Mid-State thinks is valuable,” Keysor said.

For Keysor, the award shows he’s doing a good job for his students.

“The main feeling I had when I got the email (about the award) was relief,” said Keysor, who has taught in Auburn for about a decade. “I worry that what I'm doing is not enough or it's not right. This is my 18th year, and I still have that feeling of what else could I be doing? I work with so many amazing teachers. It's like, oh, they do this, I wish I was doing that, or I should do that thing that teacher is doing.”

Keysor didn’t originally plan to be a teacher but wanted to help people with his linguistic skills. Before he became a teacher he worked at the Southeast Asian Center in Syracuse helping immigrants learn English and obtain citizenship.

“My plan was to get a PhD in linguistics but I didn't like the job opportunities, so I pivoted,” he said. “I wanted to use language to help people.”

Being an ENL teacher means Keysor has to teach multiple subjects to his students, unlike junior high school and high school teachers who focus on a single subject. Keysor focuses on math and science while another ENL teacher handles social studies and English.

“They're all at different points of the things that they need to do, but then on top of that, they're also in classes that have diverse needs,” he said. “In order for me to do my job right and explain stuff to the kids, I have to first understand it, right?”

Teaching students who don’t understand English is a challenge but Keysor has ways to connect, though some take extra work.

“One thing that I typically get asked is how do you work with students that don't speak any English at all? What's the solution? And I have two,” he said. “One is, what would you do with anybody if they didn't speak your language? You can communicate through drawings, writing, hand signals, gestures, and pointing at things, and you can start small and build up from there. The other thing and this leans into my skill set: my skill is learning languages quickly, so when I find that I have a student who speaks a language I don't know, I begin to study it and then I build up enough where that gives them the confidence to transition to English, and from there, we're good to go.”

Kolceski said Keysor is a good teacher because of his willingness to go the extra mile for students by also being involved in student clubs such as e-sports, video games, chess, and role-playing games.

“He's kind, he's compassionate, he's reflective, and he cares about the kids as individuals,” she said. “He wants to see them connect with education in a meaningful way. You don't see Brandon just in the ENL world. He’s also crossed over into clubs, he's gone above and beyond to reach out to other kids, not just the kids who are ELLs.”

“My absolute favorite thing about this job is seeing students pursue the things that they love,” Keysor said. “We're humans and we want to get together and have a nice time and create stories, plays, and characters and act things out. My e-sports kids also play tennis. I bring that up to say that they can do both; just watching students pursue their interests, become who they're going to be.” 

Keysor expressed his gratitude to the district’s administration, especially how they let him expand into opportunities such as doing a podcasting class that focused on world languages for fifth graders.

“I can't put into words how supported I feel by the administration,” said Keysor, who also praised his past and present supervisors Amy Mahunik and Kolceski. “The extent to which they see what I'm doing and tell me to continue. They give me plenty of opportunities to extend myself, to try different things.” 

-- Christopher Sciria/AECSD Public Information Specialist