For the last decade, Kathleen Carter has worked to educate bilingual students in the Urbana School District as a dual-language Spanish teacher. She’ll enter her second year at the newly named Yankee Ridge Multilingual School after her program joined the same building as the district’s French program.
I find my work important because … we are helping to provide equitable access to education for our emergent bilingual students through the three pillars of dual-language education: bilingualism and biliteracy, grade-level academic achievement, and sociocultural competence.
I became a teacher because … our students are the future, and I want to help create a safe learning environment for them to take risks, learn and grow as members of our society.
My favorite or most unique lesson that I teach is … inherited traits and life cycles with chicks. It is such a great hands-on experience for the students and is huge for their language development and social-emotional learning.
My most fulfilling moments on the job are when … I see students making growth, taking risks, showing empathy, and advocating for themselves and others.
I keep students engaged by … building relationships, leveraging my knowledge of students, and giving my students opportunities for collaboration and inquiry.
Something else I’m passionate about is … foster care. My husband and I have been foster parents since 2018.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school was … my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Rittenburg (St. John the Baptist in Longmont, Colo.). As a student, my favorite subjects were Spanish and language arts.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be … an advocate in the foster care system.
I spent my summer … at home with my kids and working as a Game Master at Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space.
— ANTHONY ZILIS