Highest Aspirations

How can teachers help students assert positive identities so they have the confidence necessary to achieve academic success and advocate for social justice in their schools and communities? What are some strategies teachers can use to infuse language concepts into content lessons while simultaneously providing students with the skills they will need to be successful in school and beyond? Why is it so important to have a network or “professional family” to rely on for professional learning and support and what are some ways to find one? We discuss these questions and much more with 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Natalia Benjamin. Natalia Benjamin teaches high school Ethnic Studies and Multilingual Learners in Rochester, MN. She is dually licensed in K-12 ESL and reading and holds a master's degree in Language Acquisition and Teaching. She advocates for multilingual and multicultural education and is part of Education Minnesota's Facing Inequities and Racism in Education - Racial Equity Advocates (FIRE-REA)