Alumni Ambassador Brandon Sherman had many key takeaways from his English Language Specialist project working virtually with Russian educators. First and foremost, the project broadened his approach to pedagogical coaching, a craft central to his career. “Addressing instructional coaching from the different cultural perspectives of professional English language educators in Russia deepened and enriched my understanding, challenging me to expand my perspective of what coaching can look like and how it can work,” Sherman said, adding that the online structure of the project also pushed him to develop competencies in media production and asynchronous learning design.
Sherman’s insights from his Specialist project continue to influence his current work and research at Indiana University Indianapolis, where he practices instructional coaching and develops professional learning materials. For a book chapter he has in the works, Sherman is drawing from his observations on how his Russian colleagues incorporated theories of learning and teaching into their practice.
In recognition of his quality work as a Specialist and his ongoing contributions to the field of TESOL, Sherman was selected as a 2024-2025 Alumni Ambassador for English Language Programs. In this role, he has been attending and presenting at conferences around the U.S., sharing his work and program experiences with other educators interested in new opportunities.
Sherman with his 2024-2025 Alumni Ambassador cohort at the TESOL International Convention in Long Beach, California, where each cohort member received an Alumni Ambassador Certificate of Appreciation
For his Specialist project in 2023, Sherman facilitated twelve modules of pedagogical coaching for EFL teachers across Russia. Each week, he led a 90-minute online session with 20 to 30 participants, introducing the foundations of coaching, theories of teaching and learning applied to coaching, and specific practices and structures. For the asynchronous learning component, he created 125 videos designed to help deepen the teachers’ understanding of the materials. As he got to know the participants better, he adapted the sessions from week to week, creating tasks for his participants to put the content into practice. “My goal became finding ways to connect the material to their circumstances and help them see how it could benefit them and their colleagues,” Sherman said. “By maintaining an adaptive, collaborative, and open approach to weekly activities, they were able to take ownership of the experience and help me find that value.”
To navigate the challenge of not being able to observe lessons and classrooms firsthand, Sherman offered informal meetings for his colleagues to have conversations over tea or coffee on the topic of collaborative learning. “By providing time for participants to share their experience with each other in small group settings, I was able to create a space in which they were able to support and give feedback to each other,” Sherman reflected.
“The people who I get to work with and talk with as an Alumni Ambassador are adventurous and curious, with plenty of international experience and great stories…I really appreciate being able to think internationally as an Alumni Ambassador.”
For all of the other incidental challenges of online learning, such as ensuring participant engagement and interaction, the unique advantages of the project were not lost on Sherman. “Because we were able to conduct this project virtually, we were able to draw together educators from across a wide geographic range,” Sherman said. “Using asynchronous learning structures also enabled the participants to engage with the materials at their own pace and convenience, and to review material as much as they needed.
As a scholar of second language acquisition, Sherman was delighted to find that his like-minded participants were happy to discuss educational theory, sharing unique cultural perspectives on some of his treasured texts. “In my scholarship, I’ve drawn a great deal from two Russian thinkers: Lev Vygotsky, on sociocultural theories of learning, and Mikhael Bakhtin, on dialogic theory. I found the participants quite ready to engage with ideas from these and other theorists, and to consider the practical implications of putting them into practice in coaching and teaching.”
At the 2024 MITESOL conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sherman joined program staff in the booth to meet new teachers and prospective program applicants
Following his Specialist project, Sherman continued working with his participants through the Tsvetnik initiative supported by the Regional English Language Office for Russia. In this role, he coached four Russian EFL educators for five months, furthering their reflective practice on pedagogical challenges and successes. Teaming up with some of the educators from the initiative, Sherman delivered two presentations on his experiences with coaching models at the TESOL 2025 International Convention in Long Beach, California. Next, he gave two sessions at the AAAL conference in Denver, Colorado, on instructional conversations and bilingual education.
Sherman at the 2025 AAAL conference in Denver, Colorado, with program staff and alumni
In his current work on the research faculty in the School of Education at Indiana University Indianapolis, Sherman conducts educational research and manages project activities for the National Professional Development initiative “Project CELEBRATE.” He researches the learning and growth of general education teachers who work with instructional coaches to be better prepared to support multilingual learners of English. “I work with wonderful colleagues to provide professional learning for these teachers,” Sherman said. “I get to visit classrooms in multiple districts and chart teacher innovation and growth over time. I analyze and theorize to develop a better understanding of how teachers and students can be supported. It’s very rewarding work.”
With his commitment to supporting teachers and his “strong personal belief in the mission and activities of English Language Programs,” Sherman jumped at the chance to become an Alumni Ambassador. “When I saw the opportunity to be involved in another side of the program, I had to take it,” Sherman said. “The people who I get to work with and talk with as an Alumni Ambassador are adventurous and curious, with plenty of international experience and great stories. It’s taken me back to my time in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, reminding me of the people I met then and during my other times living abroad. I really appreciate being able to think internationally as an Alumni Ambassador.”
Stay tuned for our next featured Alumni Ambassador story with Paula Wilder.