UNC Charlotte Lecturer Selected For Teacher Of The Year Award
Susana Cisneros ’09 M.A. sees teaching languages as a way to invite people to take a journey of self-exploration and join a collective learning experience.
“I challenge myself to present my courses as an opportunity to learn a language that goes beyond vocabulary and grammatical conjugation,” said Cisneros, a UNC Charlotte senior lecturer in Spanish. ” Students in my courses learn how the culture embedded in the language fosters deep critical thinking skills, a bigger frame of reference, an opportunity to embrace growth — sometimes with discomfort, and always with empathy.”
For the exceptional way that Cisneros guides language learners on their journeys, the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina presented her its 2022 Higher Education Teacher of the Year Award. The annual selection honors a higher education teacher who stands out as a leader among peers. A companion award recognizes a K-12 teacher.
“Students particularly appreciate her enthusiasm, dedication, availability and her commitment to broadening their world view and their knowledge of the community,” said Michèle Bissière, chair of the Department of Languages and Culture Studies. “She is an innovative teacher who goes out of her way to provide real-life experiences for her students.”