ACTFL 2018 in The Big Easy

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) annual convention met in New Orleans, November 15-18, 2018. Thousands of educators convened for professional development and support on hundreds of topics. 2018 ACTFL President Dr. Ali Moeller (far right) recognized Teacher of the Year Rebecca Ms. Aubrey (2^nd from left) at the Opening General Session. Ms. Aubrey is a Spanish teacher from Ashford, Connecticut with 20 years of experience teaching Latin American studies and 10 years in Spanish instruction. The other regional finalists were (L-R) Janet Rowe (Spanish, Hortonville, Wisconsin), Yan Wang (Chinese, Anchorage, Alaska), Heidi Trude (French, Front Royal, Virginia), and Jennifer Melgar (German, Austin, Texas). Ms. Aubrey credited her students for providing daily inspiration. She recalled a student who had been identified as underperforming. Ms. Aubrey was told the student would be removed for ‘language support’. She stated, “There seems to be a misunderstanding about what we do in the language classroom. We guide students through all academic content. We inspire them to learn more about the world. We empower them to engage in diverse cultures. We do that better than no other discipline.” Ms. Aubrey plans to engage in advocacy and to provide professional support for ACTFL members in the year ahead.