This Franklin teacher didn't know English as a kid. Now she teaches English to others.

A large poster hangs on the wall close to the door of Claudia Quezada's classroom in Franklin.

The poster reads, "We can make a difference." Below the text is an illustration of children holding hands around the world.

Quezada, an English Language Learner teacher at Johnson Elementary, said she likes the poster because of it's message of acceptance.

"Yes, we look different around the world," she said. "But we're pretty much the same." 

Quezada did not know English when she moved to Franklin at the age of 10. Now the 28-year-old helps kids learn English in the same school district in which she grew up. 

Moving to the U.S.

Like many immigrant families, Quezada's family moved from Mexico to the United States for a shot at better economic opportunities. 

Quezada vividly remembers her first day at Liberty Elementary in Franklin.

"I remember my first day walking in and not speaking any English," she said. "It was terrifying.

 "I didn't know what was going on, where to go, who to ask for help and I didn't know how to ask for help because I couldn't speak the language," she said. 

In Mexico, she stayed in one classroom. In the U.S., she switched classrooms for different subjects. 

"I remember thinking that the school was huge and the halls were huge and there were so many places I needed to go," Quezada said. "Now that I've gone back, the halls are a lot smaller."

Connecting to students

Quezada's students come from all over the world — Korea, Japan, Venezuela, Colombia, India and other countries — and speak English in school and another language at home.

She's not familiar with all the cultures and languages, but she understands how scared students can feel in a new country. 

"She can reach the kids in a different way because she has that experience as well," said Karen Hunter-Mennenga, an ELL teacher and Quezada's mentor in college. 

Besides the language barrier, Quezada grew up in a low-income family. About 22 percent of students at Johnson Elementary are considered economically disadvantaged. 

Quezada said she makes it a point to talk to them about their future goals. 

Quezada has photos of her students on display on her classroom's bookshelves. In the photos, her students hold up paper signs of jobs they're interested in - doctor, engineer, judge, computer designer, dentist.

"I like to talk to them about what they can accomplish later in life," she said.

Becoming an educator

Quezada had the same ELL teacher, Bonnie Hedge, from 5th to 8th grades. It was Hedge who inspired her to become an educator. 

"She saw potential in me and she believed I could go to college," Quezada said.

"She said it so many times it became ingrained in my brain, and I decided, 'You know what? I think I want to go to school and I want to do what she does.' "

Quezada said she wanted to make an impact on other people's lives, so she chose to become an educator. 

She became the first in her family to go to college.

It was a student-teaching opportunity that brought Quezada back to the Franklin Special School District. At the end of her student-teaching, a position for an ELL teacher opened up at Johnson Elementary. She applied and got the job. 

She earned tenure as an FSSD teacher in the fall of 2017. Now she is pursuing a master's degree in English language acquisition at Lipscomb University.

Serving as a community liaison 

The phone rings in Quezada's classroom. She answers the call and hears from a parent who needs help translating a school note.

Quezada gets calls like these on a daily basis. Sometimes parents visit her in-person for translation help. 

"She's very soft spoken, but she fights for the children that she teaches," said Johnson Elementary Principal Tosha Robinson Baugh.

"If we can't get to a family, we know we have Claudia," Baugh said. "She has a relationship with those families. That is unique and special to us."

Quezada said she considers students at Johnson Elementary her family. 

"A lot of the kids, the students I serve, go to my same church," said Quezada, who attends St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin. "I know I'm helping people from my community."

Reach Melanie Balakit at mbalakit@tennessean.com. 

About Claudia Quezada

Job: English Language Learner teacher at Johnson Elementary

Age: 38

From: Degollado, Jal. Mexico

Hobbies: dancing, fitness classes, reading romantic novels

What she likes about Franklin: "I love that Franklin is so safe.  I love the small town feeling and historic sites."

People who inspire her: Evelyn Hickerson of Gentry's Educational Foundation, former ELL teacher Bonnie Hedge, late civil rights activist Cesar Chavez and late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.