Staff Profile

My name is Dr. Amy Hewett-Olatunde. I have been teaching for almost 30 years. I am an ESL teacher who has taught at LEAP High School, part of St. Paul Public Schools, a school that caters to immigrant and refugee youth, ages 14-21 for 19 years. In 2018, I made the transition here to Humboldt High School. I primarily teach academic and creative writing, but I also have taught and currently teach physical science, chemistry, and geography. I always infuse art in the curriculum. My juniors and seniors the past three years have been a part of the We Are America national program and have published their own We Are America books. Check out the website here: https://www.weareamericaproject.com. I also have a special interest in dual-identified students, who receive both Special Education services and ESL services. This is an area that has very superficial research in, and working with both native English speakers and English learners who have an IEP or 504 plan is near and dear to me. 

I have also taught in higher ed for over 19 years, working with pre-service ESL teachers and undergraduate international students as an English professor, currently at Hamline, St. Thomas, Metro State, and St. Scholastica. I teach linguistics, diversity, inclusion, and linguistics courses. I have spent a number of years working on the MinneTESOL Executive Board, including the role of president. I have an extensive background in speaking state and nation-wide for EL rights and advocacy. I was given this platform to do this with a larger audience in 2015 when I became the 2015-16 MN Teacher of the Year. 

In addition to those roles, I am a course facilitator, freelance writer, and curriculum developer for Support Ed, and school districts across the East Coast and internationally as well as conducting training workshops across the midwest for Vista Higher Learning, an international language company. 

I always look at teaching through a cultural lens, so that the curriculum represents the students I am teaching. 

I have two absolutely beautiful children (Jadesola, 17 and Kolawole, 14). I am a dual citizen, born in the US, but spent the first 18 years of my life in Canada. I can understand and/or speak a couple languages: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, and Quebecois. I am also a poet and visual artist, but time escapes me so I do not get to spend as much time on my crafts as I would like to. 

I support public schools. Go Hawks!

Best,

Dr. Hewett-Olatunde, EdS, EdD