Scott Freiberger \u201810 received the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award at the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) International Conference & English Language Expo in Chicago. Freiberger has earned three master\u2019s degrees \u2013 one from the TESOL program at UCF \u2013 and certifications in TESOL (K-12) for use in Florida and New York. He has been an educator in the United States and East Asia for two decades, and currently works at John Browne Elementary School of Global Studies in New York City.<\/p>\n
While starting his career teaching English as a second language (ESL) at Queens College of CUNY, Freiberger felt \u201ca deep sense of accomplishment empowering special needs students to succeed.\u201d He has since then had the drive to help students throughout his professional life, especially when he taught at-risk youth at a Title I high school (an institution with a high number of children from low-income families).<\/p>\n
\u201cMotivating at-risk youth to succeed continues to inspire me,\u201d said Freiberger. \u201cMy classroom has become a haven for learning, and I actively encourage students to endeavor in education and conceive of their schooling as a springboard to a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freiberger has also taken his knowledge and passion for English instruction overseas. As a teacher in China and Japan for ten years, he developed a respect for other languages and cultures and refined his skill for teaching English to speakers of other languages \u2013 a skill that UCF\u2019s TESOL program helped cultivate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe targeted TESOL training I had received at [UCF] provided a solid foundation upon which to build critical cognitive and instructional skills and enhance my overall pedagogy,\u201d said Freiberger.<\/p>\n
Freiberger\u2019s fluency in Mandarin and proficiency in Spanish, Japanese and Korean has helped him better connect with and educate his predominantly bilingual student population. He translates for parents of students during meetings, and even provides free assistance to working parents and families outside of regular school hours.<\/p>\n
During his convention session at TESOL 2018, \u201cEnhancing Curriculum Access and Classroom Equity Through Academic Language,\u201d Freiberger discussed ways that educators can incorporate academic language into their classrooms. Through his research, Freiberger has determined that \u201c[instructing students] in academic language not only increases students\u2019 communicative competence, but it also improves vocabulary knowledge and verbal expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keith Folse, Professor of TESOL, recognized the impressive distinction TESOL is awarding Freiberger.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an honor that our program has produced the<\/em> teacher of the year for our entire international organization,\u201d said Folse.<\/p>\n When asked what advice he would give fledgling TESOL professionals, Freiberger suggested that they be passionate, be empathic, and continuously expand their knowledge. By planning his lessons at least three weeks in advance and arriving to class early to study areas of student growth which need further attention, Freiberger practices what he preaches.<\/p>\n \u201c[Never] stop believing that you can be the change that you seek to inspire in others,\u201d said Freiberger.<\/p>\n A Master of Arts in TESOL prepares students to teach ESOL in the United States and abroad through courses in language acquisition, use, and pedagogy. Freiberger’s story is an example of the many opportunities within the TESOL field, from work overseas and in community colleges to positions in private and public schools. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TESOL alum Scott Freiberger ’10 received the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award at the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) International Conference & English Language Expo in Chicago","protected":false},"author":"","featured_media":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/languages\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2018\/03\/Scott.Freiberger_Teaching_STEM.jpeg","template":"","categories":[21,18],"tags":[],"dept":[67],"class_list":["post-1847","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-highlight","dept-modern-languages-and-literatures"],"acf":[],"approved":1,"site_name":"Modern Languages and Literatures","yoast_head":"\n