2020 class

About Me

Hello!


My name is Jonathan Leggett, and I am an ELD teacher for Highlands Community Charter. I teach at the Salam campus where I get the opportunity to work with a diverse population of multi-level students.


As a teacher, I strive to serve those in need by providing a level of education that focuses on individual student growth, and values compassion, forgiveness, and inclusivity. I make a strong effort to provide a curriculum that adapts to the needs of my students as well as the standards of higher-level education. I see myself and my students as leaders and members of a marginalized community working together towards self-empowerment and self-sufficiency.


Although I was born in the Bay Area, I spent most of my youth in the Central Valley. There, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a multicultural environment that nurtured my open-mindedness and respect for diversity. I attended Fresno State where I studied English, teaching, and creative writing and taught courses in fiction writing, academic literacy, accelerated academic literacy, and bridge courses preparing at-risk students for college-level reading and writing. I have also worked as a fiction editor and manuscript reader for several literary journals such as The Normal School and San Joaquin Review.


I have a strong passion for teaching, especially teaching English to those in need. My mother is an immigrant from Mexico, and I witnessed first-hand her struggles and accomplishments while learning the English language. Iā€™m able to see similar struggles and accomplishments in my students as they learn English and learn to navigate our communities here in the United States. Their struggles and accomplishments fill me with pride and motivate me to continue down my current career path. I hope to continue to grow as a teacher, educator, and advocate for the marginalized and disenfranchised. I hope to see my students grow into strong and empowered individuals with the capabilities to navigate this world and achieve their goals.


-Jonathan Leggett