Teacher of the Year
The 2020 MALT Teacher of the Year, and our nominee for PNCFL Teacher of the Year, is Teresa Mountains.
Teresa Mountains is a Spanish teacher at Billings Senior High. She loves being a culturally competent educator who strives to meet the needs of her diverse learners. She has attended AP Spanish and Language institutes as well as other professional development opportunities in order to fine-tune her teaching. She is also the second Vice President for the Billings Education Association. She is also an alumni of the NEA Alumni Academy and the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI). She grew up culturally diverse & has done work in social justice and the association/union for her TLI capstone project as well as attended the NEA Woman & Minority Leadership Training. She has experience writing curriculum and micro-credentials for the NEA Association, attended NEA Social & Racial Justice conference in Boston, and planned with the NEA social justice department to bring social justice, culturally competent, and diversity training to the 2017 MEA- MFT educator conference. In her spare time she loves camping, going to concerts, grilling, and spending time with family, friends, and the family's new yellow lab puppy.
Teresa Mountains is a Spanish teacher at Billings Senior High. She loves being a culturally competent educator who strives to meet the needs of her diverse learners. She has attended AP Spanish and Language institutes as well as other professional development opportunities in order to fine-tune her teaching. She is also the second Vice President for the Billings Education Association. She is also an alumni of the NEA Alumni Academy and the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI). She grew up culturally diverse & has done work in social justice and the association/union for her TLI capstone project as well as attended the NEA Woman & Minority Leadership Training. She has experience writing curriculum and micro-credentials for the NEA Association, attended NEA Social & Racial Justice conference in Boston, and planned with the NEA social justice department to bring social justice, culturally competent, and diversity training to the 2017 MEA- MFT educator conference. In her spare time she loves camping, going to concerts, grilling, and spending time with family, friends, and the family's new yellow lab puppy.
Outstanding Contributions Award
Kristi Schell is the winner of the 2020 Outstanding Contributions Award.
"I have been a German teacher at Billings Senior High School in Billings, Montana since the fall of 2000 and currently teach levels 2 - AP. My passion for the German language started in High School where I learned German under Frau Whitney. I was fortunate enough as a sophomore in High School to travel to Germany for the first time. That is where I absolutely fell in love with the German language and culture. After High School, I majored in German Education at the University of Montana in Missoula, with a minor in Art. My time observing in a German language classroom at Valley Christian in Missoula made me realize that I had made the right career choice. I was so excited to become a teacher. My student teaching experience began in Helena, Montana and ended in Hohenfels, Germany in December of 1999. After student teaching, my family and I lived in Germany until the late spring. Upon returning to the states, I promptly applied for a teaching position in Billings. My German teaching career began there in the fall of 2000. After a few years of teaching, I decided to further my German skills and get my masters degree. I first participated in a graduate summer immersion program in Austria through the University of Northern Iowa and then finished my masters degree through University of Montana."
"I have been a German teacher at Billings Senior High School in Billings, Montana since the fall of 2000 and currently teach levels 2 - AP. My passion for the German language started in High School where I learned German under Frau Whitney. I was fortunate enough as a sophomore in High School to travel to Germany for the first time. That is where I absolutely fell in love with the German language and culture. After High School, I majored in German Education at the University of Montana in Missoula, with a minor in Art. My time observing in a German language classroom at Valley Christian in Missoula made me realize that I had made the right career choice. I was so excited to become a teacher. My student teaching experience began in Helena, Montana and ended in Hohenfels, Germany in December of 1999. After student teaching, my family and I lived in Germany until the late spring. Upon returning to the states, I promptly applied for a teaching position in Billings. My German teaching career began there in the fall of 2000. After a few years of teaching, I decided to further my German skills and get my masters degree. I first participated in a graduate summer immersion program in Austria through the University of Northern Iowa and then finished my masters degree through University of Montana."
MALT Postsecondary Teacher of the Year
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Marton (Marty) Marko is the winner of the 2020 Postsecondary Teacher of the Year.
Marty Marko is an Associate Professor of German in the Department of World Languages at the University of Montana, where he has taught for 13 years. His areas of instruction and research include: language pedagogy, German culture and literature, film studies, and environmental humanities. Marty currently directs the first-year German language program at UM and is on the Faculty Advisory Board of UM’s Davidson Honor College. He has been an active member of MALT since his arrival at UM in the fall of 2006 and for several years was the editor of our former publication, the MALT Bulletin. Through his engagement with MALT, Marty has served as a liaison between World Languages at UM and instructors and programs at schools throughout Montana. He has been involved in UM’s Foreign Language Day, which hosts hundreds of Montana high school students and their teachers with open classrooms, special lectures, and language/culture-based activities. Marty has also been active in reaching out to schools and programs across Montana in collaborative efforts on behalf of the University of Montana. He has been an instructor, advisor, and mentor to many current Montana teachers – in German and in other fields. Marty looks forward to continuing his collaboration with Montana educators and MALT toward excellence in language teaching and learning at all levels as well as supporting vital connections between teachers, administrators, and students across the state and region. |
History Of MALT Awards
- 2019 Teacher of the Year- Kristen Wolf
- 2019 Outstanding Contributions- Sarah Buley
- 2018 Teacher of the Year- Kerri Hiatt, Spanish Teacher at both Belt and Highwood Schools
- 2018 Outstanding Contributions- Lynette Pottenger, Spanish Teacher in Fort Benton
- 2017 Teacher of the Year- Erika Shupe, Latin Teacher at Bozeman H. S. and MT Digital Academy
- 2017 Outstanding Contributions- Debbie Kelley, French & Spanish at Billings Skyview H. S. Debbie also won the regional Outstanding Contributions Award for 2017
LILL Participants
- Megan Hambrick 2017-2018 French Teacher Bozeman H. S. Platform-Seal of Biliteracy
MALT Awards Information
MALT offers three annual awards in coordination with the Pacific Northwest Council for Languages:
- MALT Language Teacher of the Year (becomes state nominee for PNCFL's Northwest LanguageTeacher of the Year)
- MALT Postsecondary Teacher of the Year (becomes state nominee for PNCFL's Ray Verzasconi Northwest Postsecondary Teacher of the Year)
- MALT Outstanding Contributions to the Teaching of World Languages (becomes state nominee for PNCFL's Outstanding Contributions to the Teaching of World Languages in the Pacific Northwest)
Please see the PNCFL website under "Awards and Grants" for more information and eligibility criteria for each award.
Also check out the ACTFL Professional Awards for further language education award opportunities.
