Tag Archives: Language Arts Teachers

Teachers who specialized in Language Arts.

Kimberly Kane one of seven finalist for Colorado’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Middle school Language Arts teacher Kimberly Kane has been named one of seven finalists for Colorado’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Delta Middle School

There are many deviated and talented educators working in Colorado’s public schools. One them, Kimberly Kane, a middle school Language Arts teacher fro Delta. She was named as one of seven finalists for the state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year honors.

Kimberly teaches courses in English and Language Arts to sixth graders at Delta Middle School in Delta County, Colorado. There she enjoys a reputation for creating a positive, inclusive learning environment. Kimberly says she believes that authentic relationships, consistency in instruction, and expectations are the keys to success in helping every student succeed both in and out of the classroom. To further support her students, she implemented a school-wide peer tutoring program.

In addition to her classroom curriculum, Kimberly mentors her district’s new teachers, guiding them through best practices in classroom management and instructional strategies.

For her hard work and expertise with new teachers and peer tutors, Kimberly was honored by her district with the Passion for Teaching Award. In addition, she was recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) as their Teacher of the Year for Delta County and the Western Slope. The organization chose Kimberly for this award for her active role in developing citizenship and patriotism within her school’s student body.

Kimberly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Interdisciplinary Studies and her Master’s degree in Secondary Education Social Studies, both from Liberty University, a private university located in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Iowa English teacher has been named the 2024 Iowa Teacher of the Year

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English teacher Ann Mincks of Des Moines, Iowa, has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Des Moines public Schools

Our nation is fortunate to have so many outstanding educators working in our public schools. One of these is Ann Mincks, an English Language Learner teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. She has ben named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. The award honors exceptional teachers who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and who have made a significant impact on both students and colleagues.

Currently, Ann teaches English language learners (ELL) at Hoover High School in the Des Moines Public School District. Her students range in ability levels from emerging to advanced, and span ninth through 12th graders.

During her 16 years as a professional educator, Ann has filled various roles, including working as an instructional coach and as an adjunct professor. Her passion is working with both students and staff to support the language development of all learners. “I believe our actions as educators matter,” Ann declares. “I want students to have an experience that truly breaks down the walls of the classroom and connects students to their future successes in a career and as a community member,” she continues.

Ann earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Education with a minor in Spanish and an endorsement in English Language Learner Instruction from Iowa State University located in Ames, Iowa. That was in 2007. In 2011, she earned her Master’s degree in Education with a Reading Endorsement and a Literacy Specialist Endorsement from Viterbo University located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. To read more about Ann, click on this link to the Des Moines Register.

The Iowa Teacher of the Year program was established in 1958 and is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education. Educators who are honored serve as ambassadors to colleagues in Iowa’s schools, higher education, and communities.

Ohio community mourns loss of English teacher Shannon Wigfield

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Members of the academic community are mourning the loss of Language Arts teacher Shannon Wigfield, who perished in a horrific school bus accident. Photo credit: LinkedIn

Hearts are heavy in Bolivar, Ohio, this week as the community mourns the loss of English teacher Shannon Wigfield. She perished in a horrific school bus accident on Tues., Nov. 14. The beloved educator taught at Buckeye Career Center in New Philadelphia. She was 46 years old.

The group on the bus was on their way to the Ohio School Board Association Capital Conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, where the Tuscarawa Valley High School Band was scheduled to perform. Shannon had agreed to serve as a parent chaperone because one of her three children was a member of the band.

The horrific accident also claimed the lives of three students, Tuscarawa Valley High School mathematics teacher Dave Kennat, and fellow parent chaperone Kristy Gaynor. According to police authorities, the accident occurred when the bus the students were traveling in was hit by a commercial semitrailer traveling in the same direction, resulting in a five-vehicle chain reaction.

The loss of the beloved educator has been very difficult for those who knew her, according to Bob Alsept, Superintendent of Buckeye Career Center. He remembers Shannon as, “A wonderful teacher, but more than what she taught, she really made them feel special about themselves, wouldn’t let them fail, could be hard on them as she needed to be, but also let them know that she cared deeply about their success,” he says. “I never remember seeing her and thinking she was having anything but a great day because she had a smile on her face and just carried herself enthusiastically and you know what? That rubs off on students, they are drawn to that,” Alsept continued.

Shannon was born on May 10, 1977, in Dennison, Ohio. She graduated from Claymont High School in Uhrichsville, Ohio, in 1995. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Ohio University in 2000. Her career as an educator spanned 24 years.

Our sincerest condolences to Shannon’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Christina Melly named Missouri’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Christina Melly of St. Louis, Missouri, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Christina Melly

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Christina Melly, an English teacher from St. Louis, Missouri. She has been named the 2023 Missouri State Teacher of the Year.

Christina teaches at Ritenour High School, where she haas worked for 13 years. The school just happens to be her high school alma mater. She has also coached her school’s speech and debate team, served as the Chair of the English Department, and , And as if all that were not enough, she is also a Gateway Writing Program teacher-consultant.

In addition, Christina is active in her local teachers’ union. She has served as the President of the Ritenour National Education Association. There she holds the position of the Missouri Resolutions Committee. Recently she was elected to a fourth term as a delegate on the National Resolutions Committee.

As a first-generation American, Christina understands the value of using writing to amplify her students’ voices, including publishing their experiences with writing through the National Council of Teachers of English’s English Journal. “I am the best teacher on the days I learn from students,” Christina declares. “It takes a lot of practice and courage to reach those days, but the lessons that define me as a teacher have student choice, voice, and experiences at the center; this creates shared ownership of our learning,” she continues.

Christina earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and a second Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2010. She earned her Master’s degree in English and a graduate certificate in the teaching of writing from the same university in 2015.

To read more about Christina Melly, click on this link to an article published about her by UMSL Daily.

 

CA educator Efrain Tovar uses “translanguaging” strategies in his Newcomers class

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Many outstanding educators are working diligently to help recent immigrants to the United States learn how to function fluently in the English language. But some of the best are those that encourage these students to simultaneously develop their proficiency in their native languages. One of these is Efrain Tovar, an English as a Second Language teacher at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Selma, located in Fresno County in California.

Efrain creates a vibrant classroom community for “newcomers,” the moniker given to recently-arrived immigrant students who have limited proficiency in English. In his class, students come from a wide range of countries, including Mexico, Yemen, India, Egypt, Guatemala, and others. Efrain uses this ethnic diversity not only to create a safe and welcoming space for learning, but also to further develop and personalize each student’s English language learning curriculum.

Efrain is an advocate for Ann instructional process known as “translanguaging,” the practice of encouraging the student to use their existing linguistic backgrounds and heritages to master new academic content and, ultimately, to be able to move fluently between two or more languages. Studies have shown that when English language learners are given consistent opportunities to practice their home languages in class, their English proficiency flourishes—along with their sense of belonging and identity. “The goal is to be bilingual and bi-literate so that you’ll not only be a contributing citizen, but also be a bridge maker when you speak multiple languages with multiple communities,” explains Efrain.

You can watch this amazing educator at work and hear what his student have to say about him, in the video above. To learn more about studies in translanguaging, you can read this article detailing an explore 2011 study about English language learners and academic achievement. You can also access this article published in 2023 by EdSource which describes why bilingual students do better on tests than native English speakers.