Iowa City, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2019 Michael Oates Teacher of Promise has been awarded to Grace Winter, Spanish teacher at Washington High School. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2019 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, October 5th, 2019. This honor is bestowed on an individual in their first two years teaching who “has shown exceptional promise and potential to become outstanding world language educators.” She has been described as, “caring, thoughtful, diligent teacher who plans her classes carefully and carries them out well …We know that she is going to be a wonderful advocate for ALL language learners as she starts her career.” Please join us in congratulating Grace Winter as the IWLA 2019 Michael Oates Teacher of Promise!
Grace Winter and IWLA President Allison Wienhold
Iowa City, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2019 Secondary Educator of the Year has been awarded to Jason Noble, Spanish teacher at Newton Christian School. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2019 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, October 5th, 2019. This honor is bestowed on an individual who “exemplifies the best in teaching at his/her particular level and who has provided outstanding service to the profession in the state of Iowa.” He has been described as, “ a passionate and innovative teacher...his teaching methods involve research, careful planning and consideration of the students’ interests and needs.” Please join us in congratulating Jason Noble as the IWLA Secondary Educator of the Year!
Jason Noble and IWLA President Allison Wienhold
Iowa City, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2019 Post-Secondary Educator of the Year has been awarded to Dr. Pamela Wesely, Associate Professor of Foreign Language and ESL Education at The University of Iowa. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2019 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, October 5th, 2019. This honor is bestowed on an individual who “exemplifies the best in teaching at his/her particular level and who has provided outstanding service to the profession in the state of Iowa.” She has been described as someone who “goes above and beyond her responsibilities as a professor and a member of the World Language education community.” Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pamela Wesley as the IWLA Post-Secondary Educator of the Year!
Iowa City, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2019
Best of Iowa Presentation has been awarded to Maria Surma, a Spanish language teacher at
Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf, Iowa. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of
the 2019 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the The University of Iowa in
Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, October 5th, 2019. Maria’s presentation, titled Get them moving, get
them racing, get them feeling...get your students HOOKED, focused on how to incorporate engaging
activities and movement in the World Language classroom. She will represent the Iowa World
Language Association at the 2021 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
in Chicago, IL. Please join us in congratulating Maria Surma as the IWLA’s 2019 Best of Iowa
Presentation winner!
Ankeny, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2018 Teacher of Promise Award has been awarded to Katelyn Pletcher, a French language teacher at Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Missouri. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2018 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the DMACC Ankeny Campus in Ankeny, Iowa on Saturday, October 13th, 2018. Although Katelyn now teachers in Missouri, her teacher training program at the University of Iowa is what helped her become the teacher she is today. She is described as “an energetic, engaged, clever individual who truly cares about connecting with students.” The teacher herself shared many anecdotes in her essay about students with difficult situations at home or with family and friends, but always stressed the importance of connecting to her students and trying to build a relationship with them. Please join us in congratulating Katelyn as the 2018 IWLA Teacher of Promise!
To view the official press release, please click here.
Ankeny, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2018 Teacher of Promise Award has been awarded to Karina Suarez Luna, a Spanish language teacher at Des Moines Public Schools in Des Moines, Iowa. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2018 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the DMACC Ankeny Campus in Ankeny, Iowa on Saturday, October 13th, 2018. Karina shared she knew that she wanted a be a teacher since she was 10 years old, when she began helping her English teacher with pronunciation in order to help her peers. She describes her classroom as her “home, where I provide a safe place where my kids to laugh, cry, learn and have fun.” Her nominator describes her as an amazing educator who demonstrates great strength in relating to her students. She has an impressive mastery of the Spanish language and her Mexican-American heritage make her a true asset to her students. Please join us in congratulating Karina as the 2018 IWLA Teacher of Promise!
Ankeny, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that two separate $500 grants have been awarded to John Sifert, a Spanish language teacher at Belmond-Klemme CSD in Iowa, and Jennifer Tovar, a Spanish language teacher at Newell-Fonda in Iowa. The grant presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2018 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the DMACC Ankeny Campus in Ankeny, Iowa on Saturday, October 13th, 2018. Proceeds from John’s grant will go towards growing his classroom Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) program, while Jennifer’s grant will help fund purchasing a variety of classroom novels that will be used to students generate Breakout EDU challenges. Please join us in congratulating John Sifert and Jennifer Tovar as our 2018 grant winners!
Ankeny, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2018 Educator of the Year Award has been awarded to Craig Klein Dexemple, a Spanish language teacher at Bergman Academy in Des Moines, Iowa. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2018 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the DMACC Ankeny Campus in Ankeny, Iowa on Saturday, October 13th, 2018. Winners of this award exemplify the best in world language teaching in addition to serving our profession in various capacities. Craig is the epitome of this award. His students write that, “teaching style, his creativity, attitude, and competence with teaching Spanish to all different grade levels is exceptional. There was never a day when myself and others weren’t excited to learn Spanish .... I volunteered to write this recommendation for him because I am very grateful for his contributions to my life as a student and world citizen”. Craig is a frequent presenter at the IWLA Conference, the CSCTFL Conference, and many others, too. He is the holder of a Best of Iowa award for an earlier presentation and he publishes many materials to help make language teaching easier for others. Please join us in congratulating Craig Klein Dexemple as the 2018 IWLA Educator of the Year!
Ankeny, IA - The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2018 Best of Iowa Presentation has been awarded to Allison Wienhold, a Spanish language teacher at Dunkerton, High School in Dunkerton, Iowa. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2018 Iowa World Language Association’s annual fall conference at the DMACC Ankeny Campus in Ankeny, Iowa on Saturday, October 13th, 2018. Allison currently serves the Iowa World Language Association as President-Elect, in addition to serving the world language teaching community in various capacities: blogger, presenter, and cheerleader for her peers. Allison’s presentation, titled (C)I like to move it, move it, focused on how to incorporate physical activity in the world language classroom. She will represent the Iowa World Language Association at the 2020 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in Minneapolis, MN. Please join us in congratulating Allison Wienhold as the IWLA’s 2018 Best of Iowa Presentation winner!
Des Moines, IA—The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that the 2017 Distinguished Service Award has been given to Kerisa Chung Baedke, a Spanish language teacher in the Prairieview School in Waukee, Iowa. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a world language educator who, throughout her/his career, has demonstrated professional growth; extensive involvement in IWLA and in other professional organizations; leadership; and excellence in teaching. The award presentation was held during the luncheon of the 2017 Iowa World Language Association Annual Conference at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott in Des Moines, IA on Friday, October 13th.
Beyond her experience teaching in Waukee, Ms. Baedke was a dean at Concordia Spanish Language Village El Lago del Bosque for 16 years. She has been an IWLA Executive Board Member, and she received the IWLA Educator of the Year Award in 1997. She has been Program Chair for the IWLA conference for many years. She has spent many years getting people nominated for awards, bringing people to the conference, encouraging them to present, and representing Iowa at our regional conference. In her words: “Building the relationship is key. I want my students to see me as a person, to know who I am and what I’m passionate about. And I want to know those same things about them.”
Kerisa’s nominators wrote letters that speak directly to the amazing impact that she has had on them and on her students. Stephanie Prine stated, “She showed me what it means to be a caring, committed, an effective educator. She does not do this with lip service; her life is a testament to the power of world language education.” Loni O’Grady, a former colleague, stated, “I can honestly say that thousands, yes I say thousands of hearts have been touched, all because of this one woman. If there really is a Superwoman, I think we have found her.” Susan Sandholm-Peterson, a longtime friend and colleague, stated: “For 30 years, Kerisa has opened the door to authentic and successful language learning for her students. For 30 years, she has challenged both students and teachers to continual learning and excellence. For 30 remarkable years, Kerisa Baedke has challenged us all to create community by gifting her extraordinary dedication, leadership, and service to students and teachers, to world languages education, and to the Iowa World Language Association--and always with that “sonrisa,” and with joy.”
Pictured: Kerisa Chung Baedke (holding plaque) and family and friends
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