2014 Washington State Teacher of the Year Katie Brown

Having looked into an op-ed by Katie Brown published in the Seattle Times newspaper, I was able to learn quite a bit about Katie's views on teaching and what sort of instructor she is. In particular, I found her statement that "where you grow up, what language you speak, how much money you have or what state you live in should not determine your opportunity to learn" resonates with me, since I would like to teach at a Title I school. Her philosophy in teaching Common Core State Standards makes me feel reassured that they can be used effectively and with a high level of cultural awareness. 

Her educational background is also interesting, part of her degree was cultural anthropology, which led her to work as a teacher for AmeriCorps in Alaska. Her teaching position led her to work with children of the Tlingit and Haida Native American tribes, which gave her a lot of experience in working with students from other cultures. Katie's involvement in her students' culture impresses me, and shows a level of dedication that goes above and beyond what I'd seen from a lot of teachers in my academic career. 

As a whole, I can see why she was voted 2014 Washington State Teacher of the Year. She makes use of effective teaching strategies that are both culturally aware and standards-based, and she's shown she does this quite well. Her ability to connect to her students and engage them in her lessons shows her mastery of the teaching profession in what are arguably some of the toughest teaching environments around.

Questions:
What led you to become interested in teaching ELL?
What are some techniques you use to connect with students who are from a different culture?
How do you establish community with the families of your students when their culture is very different from yours? How do you bring them together when your students' families come from different cultures as well?

Links:

http://www.whatcomtalk.com/2014/06/01/washington-state-teacher-of-the-year-katie-brown/

http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2023193286_katiebrownopedcommoncore22xml.html