GWATFL Teacher of the Year (ToY)
Each year, GWATFL choses a teacher of the Year, who will represent the Washington DC area in the Northeast Conference in February.
In January, the NECTFL will review all state dossiers and choose a regional winner who will be announced as the Northeast Conference Teacher of the Year. This world language educator then represents NECTFL at the National Language Teacher of the Year competition at the ACTFL Conference in November.
In January, the NECTFL will review all state dossiers and choose a regional winner who will be announced as the Northeast Conference Teacher of the Year. This world language educator then represents NECTFL at the National Language Teacher of the Year competition at the ACTFL Conference in November.
|
🌟 Congratulations to our GWATFL 2025 Teacher of the Year! 🌟We are thrilled to announce that Freddy Torres has been honored as the GWATFL Teacher of the Year for World Languages! With a passion for languages and a dedication to fostering cultural understanding, Freddy has made an outstanding impact on students, colleagues, and the world language community. As an advocate for multilingual education and a leader in the classroom, he inspires students to embrace diversity, build empathy, and broaden their global perspectives. Freddy's commitment to excellence in teaching, continuous professional growth, and contribution to our GWATFL community truly sets him apart. Please join us in celebrating Freddy’s accomplishments and commitment to world language education! 🎉 |
Freddy J. Torres is a distinguished educator currently serving in the DC area as a Spanish teacher and World Language District Course Chair for DC Public Schools (DCPS). In partnership with Transcend, Freddy champions and facilitates the Whole Child Model on both local and national levels. From 2017 to 2023, he led the Specials team at Van Ness Elementary School, bringing a collaborative vision to the school community. With a career spanning the DMV area since 2013, Freddy’s excellence was recognized in 2022 when he received the DCPS World Language Teacher of the Year award.
Freddy is deeply committed to educational innovation and teamwork, bringing a goal-oriented approach to his work. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he has extensive experience teaching in both national and international settings. Over his 22-year teaching career, Freddy has skillfully provided simultaneous translations of educational materials, including instruction manuals, research papers, legal documents, and websites.
Before moving to Washington, D.C., Freddy served as an EFL professor at Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) and led the EFL Department at Alexander Wandemberg School. He holds a BA in ESL from Universidad de los Hemisferios and an MS in Multidisciplinary Studies from Buffalo State University. Freddy resides in the DC metro area with his wife and two children, continuing his dedication to excellence in language education.
Freddy is deeply committed to educational innovation and teamwork, bringing a goal-oriented approach to his work. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he has extensive experience teaching in both national and international settings. Over his 22-year teaching career, Freddy has skillfully provided simultaneous translations of educational materials, including instruction manuals, research papers, legal documents, and websites.
Before moving to Washington, D.C., Freddy served as an EFL professor at Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) and led the EFL Department at Alexander Wandemberg School. He holds a BA in ESL from Universidad de los Hemisferios and an MS in Multidisciplinary Studies from Buffalo State University. Freddy resides in the DC metro area with his wife and two children, continuing his dedication to excellence in language education.
How to nominate a teacher for GWATFL Teacher of the and apply
Nominate a teacher for GWATFL Teacher of the year!
GWATFL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER OF THE YEAR
NOMINATION FORM
GWATFL is proud to announce the World Languages Teacher of the Year competition. The recipient will receive a gift, a personalized award, and will be recognized at a “Teacher of the Year” Celebration. The award has been developed to honor the field of language teaching. It also offers opportunities to increase the visibility of the importance of learning languages and cultures.
PROCESS OF APPLICATION:
The World Languages Teacher of the Year process begins with the submission of the requirements for Phase I. GWATFL encourages broad participation and will review sufficient evidence from candidates of their teaching accomplishments and ability to represent the language profession.
Nominee Requirements for GWATFL World Languages Teacher of the Year (Based on NECTFL and ACTFL requirements)
1. Must be a GWATFL member.
2. The recipient must be willing to meet all of the criteria and to fulfill all of the duties described throughout this document.
- Be a full-time language teacher who spends at least 50% of their time in direct teaching during the year of application with an expectation of teaching for at least two additional years.
- Cover page
- One page letter of recommendation from a supervisor
- One page letter of recommendation from a current student
- One page letter of recommendation from a current or former parent
- Curriculum vitae of no more than five pages in length
- 500-word first-person statement on the value of learning a language and developing cultural competence for all learners
- A classroom video providing a brief, clear, and concise snapshot from a unit that must include the teacher and must show teacher interacting with students in the target language that is a continuous, non-edited 20-minute segment of a lesson in the actual classroom
Submission Procedures
1. Nominees will submit the required documents as stated in the Nominee Requirements by October 2, 2024.
All materials submitted to GWATFL must be shared with [email protected] via Google Drive folder. Please do not mail or email your materials. Contact us for details and guidelines on sharing your portfolio.
2. The winner will be notified by October 15th and will be formally recognized at the GWATFL Fall Conference.
Here is a checklist
Download the Application Process and Submission Procedures for GWATFL Teacher of the Year:
GWATFL Teacher of the Year Application
| Cover Page |