How We Teach This: Season Five
Season 5 of How We Teach This has a wide range of guests and topics - including a mini-series about School Safety, also the National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductees of 2022, Fallen Eductors Memorial, Teacher Retention, and many more.
Season 5, Episode 8 - December 7, 2022
Biography-Driven Instruction - Strategies to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Diana Mendoza, Director of ESOL and Diversity, and Susanne Stevenson, ESOL Instructional Coach, both at Dodge City Public Schools, give examples of Biography Driven Instruction and explain why it is important to have a Culturally Relevant Classroom. Susanne Stevenson is also recognized as the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Listen to this episode to better understand how educators can help families and students be more successful when they come to our schools from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and languages.
Susanne Stevenson
Diana Mendoza
Resources:
Diana Mendoza is the Director of ESOL and Diversity at Dodge City Public Schools, USD 443. Mendoza has been in public education for over 20 years, serving as a 6th-grade teacher, instructional coach, and district-level director. In her role, Mendoza works with teachers to develop best practices for working with diverse populations and serves as a community resource for students and families. She received an A.A. from Dodge City Community College, a B.S. in Elementary Education from Kansas State University, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Kansas State University.
Susanne Stevenson is currently serving as a K-12 ESOL Instructional Coach for Dodge City Public Schools in Dodge City, Kansas. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Emporia State University and a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in English as a Second Language from Newman University, as well as her ESOL endorsement. She was most recently named the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year. As a former fourth-grade teacher in Dodge City, KS, Stevenson quickly developed a love for working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Stevenson ensures all students' success by using various techniques including Biography Driven Instruction and EL strategies. As the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year, she has spent the past year traveling across the state advocating for equitable opportunities and high standards of achievement for immigrant students.
Follow Susanne Stevenson on Twitter
Want to be a guest on our show? Contact us at email: HWTT@emporia.edu
