TFLA Honors 2001-2002 Teachers of the Year

Kathleen (Kay) Bouska of Austin ISD was honored as German Teacher of the Year. Kay currently teaches German and world cultures electives at Kealing Junior High School and works with the GAPP exchange program to Koblenz, Germany at Anderson High School. Her education and training is extensive and varied. In addition to her degrees in elementary education and German, Kay has studied in Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Her experience includes teaching in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; serving as an exchange teacher in Australia; teaching all fifth grade subject areas in Ludwigsburg, Germany; and working with the government of Guam. In addition to German, Kay has studied Spanish and Japanese.

French Teacher of the Year was awarded to Dorothy Cox of Fort Bend ISD. Dorothy has a B.A. with majors in French and Italian and a Masters of Education in Administration. She has taught French at all levels, from pre-school students to high school graduates. She currently teaches at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land. Dorothy serves as a mentor teacher in her district and has co-sponsored student trips to France and Italy. She has received numerous scholarships and grants and presented workshops and sessions at Texas Foreign Language Association conferences. In addition, Dorothy serves as a TEKS for LOTE training facilitator and was a contributing author to Great TEKSpectations: Innovative Learning Scenarios for the LOTE Classroom.

Latin teacher Ginny Lindzey of Austin ISD was chosen as Outstanding New Teacher of the Year. Ginny teaches at Porter Middle School, where she brings the classics to life for her students by offering mythology reading circles during lunch, bringing in guest speakers and performers, and making vocabulary connections to both English and Spanish. Ginny further supports learning by utilizing technology for reviews and drills for her students. She maintains a variety of Web sites with resources for students and educators. Ginny serves on numerous committees related to classics education and as State Vice President for the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Editorial Advisor for the American Classical League, and Editor for the Texas Classical Association. Her latest project is the development of a Web site and print materials for the spring 2003 National Latin Teachers Recruitment Week.

The Japanese Teacher of the Year award goes to Helen Tatsuko Nakamoto of Katy ISD. Helen teaches all levels of Japanese at James E. Taylor High School. In addition, she is an instructor of Japanese in the Department of Continuing Studies at Rice University and at the University of Houston. Due to her wealth of knowledge and experience, Helen has been asked to develop educational workshops, author Japanese lessons and textbooks, and design elementary and secondary curricula. She was also a contributing author to Great TEKSpectations: Innovative Learning Scenarios for the LOTE Classroom. Helen’s community activities include directing the Japanese Women’s Chorus group in Houston.

Rosanna Pérez of Northside ISD in San Antonio was selected as Spanish Teacher of the Year. Rosanna received her B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico and her Masters of Education in School Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio. She taught Spanish IV AP Honors and Spanish V Honors at Communication Arts High School in San Antonio, where she sponsored the Spanish student newspaper, La Comunidad, and the Spanish National Honor Society. Rosanna has recently taken over the position of Instructional Specialist for International Languages for Northside ISD. She is very active in area language activities, including leading TEKS for LOTE training sessions for other districts.