About Your Instructor – Damaris Perez-Mestre

Uniquely Qualified Instructor

Damaris Perez-Mestre is an experienced educator working with English Language Learners and Newcomers for over two decades. She shares her expertise regionally and around the country, as a national presenter and ELL consultant. Damaris has a wealth of experience as an ELL educator serving newcomers in elementary and secondary schools and has trained and mentored ELL teachers nationwide. She leads professional development and instructional training in grades K-12 specifically to help her fellow educators learn how to support their English language newcomers more effectively.

As a native speaker of a language other than English and once an ELL newcomer herself, Damaris brings authentic firsthand perspective to her ELL Newcomer seminars. Her seminars are packed with high-interest and ready-to-use strategies and tools that can be used in your classroom immediately, quickly, and effectively for the benefit of all newcomers and ELLs alike. Damaris is the author of Helping Your ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWCOMERS: Strategies That Work, the digital resource handbook you will receive by attending this seminar.

What Your Colleagues Say About Your Presenter

"Damaris is so very knowledgeable. I would love to take more of her seminars."
– Terra Williamson, District EL Teacher

"I learned a lot of great things today! I'm excited to go back to my team to discuss what we will be implementing for our students."
– Jazlee Castaneda, Bilingual Paraeducator

"Loved how passionate Damaris was, and informative of different strategies that she uses."
– Ashley Owen, ELD Teacher

"I found a lot of useful information and better ways to implement some of the strategies I currently use. I also found many new ones, and I loved listening to other educators and their experiences as well."
– Melissa Villanueva, Teacher

"Damaris was very helpful and informative. I loved her stories!"
– Michele Hayes, ELL Teacher \

"This is my 23rd year in teaching and my 8th year as an EL teacher. This was one of the BEST PD experiences I have ever had. Information was useful and excellent resources!"
– Jaime Morrison, PreK-5 EL Teacher

"Damaris was very well-versed in newcomer ELLs. Her presentation left me feeling more informed and with strategies to improve my skills. Thank you!"
– Ellyn Reilly, ENL Teacher

"I truly enjoyed the information Damaris shared with all of us. She was very knowledgeable, and I have added a lot of new ideas to bring into my classroom to better engage newcomers – useful to start the school year or apply mid-year."
– Elizabeth Heiser, ELL Teacher