TEXTESOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

The TexTESOL V Teacher of the Year is an annual award given to an exemplary English Language Teacher (K-12/college/university) from the North Texas area. A call for nominations is open each year shortly before our annual conference.

NEW! Announcing–We are accepting applications for TEXTESOL Teacher of the Year! Please click below to submit an application!

TexTESOL V is seeking nominations to recognize TESOL educators in the following areas: Elementary Ed., Secondary Ed, and Higher Ed./Adult Ed. The nominees will be honored at the TexTESOL V Regional Conference.

Application Deadline:  April 29, 2024.

Click here to submit for TexTESOL Teacher of the Year!

CONGRATULATIONS
2023 TEXTESOL TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

Monica Hughes

Pre-K Teacher
Denton ISD
2023 Award Recipient

Monica Hughes illustrates rare excellence in her 20+ year career as an early childhood ESL educator. She shines in the way she teaches English Language Learners from various home language backgrounds. As a trained opera singer, she uses her musical talents to create engaging English language instruction for her students. The four- and five-year-old students in her class are regularly engaged in innovative and creative learning that also involves their families, using art, music, and dance. 

Mrs. Hughes shows that she cares deeply for her students–their education, their biliteracy development, and their cultural identity. She has partnered with families to create multilingual word walls in her class so every child’s language is represented. She makes sure she has books that represents all children’s languages and she also works with parents to help them understand the importance of biliteracy. She has implemented an ABC book project where she learned about each child’s languages, cultures, interests, and families. Then, she selected a special ABC book for each child based off of that information. She gave each child the book to keep at home. The families then created their own page in her class ABC book, showing pride in who they are. 

Her outstanding teaching, professional learning, and collaboration with others show true innovation, creativity, and excellence in the TESOL field.

Evan Pritchard

Adult ESL and Literacy Teacher
Arlington ISD
2023 Award Recipient

Mr. Pritchard has been teaching ESL to adult learners for over 21 years. In 2002, he began teaching adult ESL learners in the Family Literacy Program, a community-based program designed for parents of children who attend Title 1 schools in Arlington ISD. Mr. Pritchard knows that it is extremely important for parents of children who speak a second language to be able to help their children as well as advocate for them at school, so he serves his students and this community by supporting and teaching parents how to effectively communicate not only with their own children but also with the school and school system. Mr. Pritchard is always finding creative ways to teach English to parents by focusing his classes on parenting through learning English. He also takes his students to the surrounding libraries and points of importance so that they know about the resources that exist for them in Arlington. 

  Mr. Pritchard’s contribution to the Family Literacy Program is immeasurable. He exemplifies everything an ESL teacher for adults and parents should be.

Rita Lasuzzo

Sheltered English IV Teacher
Lewisville ISD
2023 Award Recipient

Rita is a mentor and servant leader. She is the first person to step up and try something new if there is any chance it will make a difference for her students. She is incredibly passionate about helping her students and even after 48 years of classroom experience, she is willing to do whatever it takes to reach them and ensure they are successful. Rita opens her classroom to anyone who can come observe, give her feedback, or gather ideas. She spends every summer working with EB students as well helping them get the credits they need to graduate. 

Past Winners of the TexTESOLV Teacher of the Year Award

Roberta "Birdie" Brazil
ESOL Teacher
Lewisville ISD
2022 Award Recipient

Birdie Brazil is a dedicated professional who is patient and kind and loves her ESL students. She has been a teacher at SOAR (Supporting Overall Academic Readiness) Academy for many summers which is a summer language enrichment program. She volunteers for many clubs, activities, and functions outside of school hours that promote diverse cultures for our school and for her church. Mrs. Brazil’s students love her because she helps them in her class and cares about them outside of the class as well. Birdie goes above and beyond for her students as well as her fellow teachers and is known as being one of the kindest, generous, best teachers on our campus.

Ana Vizcaya Vazquez
Language Acquisition Specialist
Coppell ISD
2022 Award Recipient

Ana’s advocacy for emergent bilinguals in our special programs have made the difference in the lives of our learners in Denton Creek. She serves kids in the Early Childhood Program, the DLI Program, the Special Ed program, as well as students in the Gifted and Talented program and the Dyslexia Program. This could be considered a challenge, but not for Ana. She has developed efficient and meaningful ways to collaborate with educators, coaches, and administrators to provide the best learning experiences for our learners. She has gone above and beyond her duties to support our campus. Her passion for bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism has become an asset in our campus. Our families feel supported with the efforts and initiatives designed by Ana, such as language clubs for our learners and one on one sessions with newcomers.