For the last 18 years of a 50 ½ yr. teaching career, I taught courses in a graduate program for teachers, formerly at Columbia College Chicago. As an Associate Professor, I consulted in several Chicago-area public schools and at the Chicago Planetarium, focusing on the use of Action Research to collect data from constituents with the goal of improving practice. Having taught mostly middle school levels in private schools in Michigan, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Mexican American community in Chicago, and in public schools in Des Plaines, IL, I brought a variety of experience to a teacher licensure program where I taught several courses in methodology and the thesis course.
What is most applicable to the work of AWIU is the fact that most of that teaching was in self-contained classrooms with students and teachers from countries around the world. Supported by bilingual aides, I taught content area classes in sheltered English until candidates were competent enough in the target language to transition to the English-speaking classroom. Sometimes, I worked with students and families from as many as 12 languages/countries simultaneously. I also conducted workshops for teachers on how to integrate English-language learners into their classrooms; and, for professors on how to plan, execute and evaluate instruction at the college level. Along with conferences in the United States, I have presented at formal educational gatherings in Cuba, Mexico and Spain and have been trained in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
I am an internationally-focused citizen of the world, having traveled and shared meals with nationals of several countries including Turkey, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco and many European countries. I believe in giving voice, resources and power to women around the world, especially in developing countries.
I have served one term on the AWIU Board of Directors, am the scribe for the Chicago Chapter, have participated in the Guatemala Delegation, and am an active member of the grant committee.
