Lone Star College-CyFair Faculty Excellence Award winners have taught English and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for more than 45 years among the four of them because they truly love what they do each day.

This year’s recipients, ESOL instructors Tricia Bartz and Carolyn Ho and English instructors Leslie Jewkes and Patricia Smith Cagle, are passionate teachers who continue learning alongside their students.

“I strive to create an environment in which students feel safe to make mistakes, one in which students are empowered to share what’s important in their lives, and one in which I am seen as a resource for their linguistic needs,” said Bartz, who also teaches French, a subject she studied in school that led to cultural and international experiences abroad, including a career in education.

Teaching allows this native Texan to continue learning as she interacts with people of diverse cultures and languages. She said helping students take mental and emotional risks as they are acquiring a second language allows her to stay grounded in what connects her and her students as human beings. 

“Language learning requires students’ vulnerability. My constant mission is to honor that vulnerability while engaging them in best practices for linguistic success,” she said.

Ho, who has earned LSC-CyFair’s Faculty Excellence Award for the third time now, said her core teaching philosophy is student-centeredness which manifests itself through what she calls the 4 Es - Empathize, Engage, Educate and Empower.

“Making student-centeredness front and center has helped me discover innovative approaches to meet the needs of my students and given me a clear direction for teaching, learning and service,” said Ho, midway through her third decade at LSC-CyFair. “The 4 Es have served me well and continue to be the four pillars of my teaching life.”

Born in Taiwan, Ho can draw on her own experience to help students handle cultural issues in the classroom. Volunteering as a tutor in a public library helped this certified Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) trainer choose a career bridging cultures through language learning.

Jewkes said “I strive to develop a classroom community where ideas and thoughts are respected – thus enabling and empowering students to learn through writing and discussing. It is wonderful to see my students ‘Become’.”

As a young girl who enjoyed the escape, learning and world view found in books and literature, she found teaching English to be the answer to a career in which she could get paid to read and be happy helping others be successful in reading, writing and thinking. 

“For me, teaching style and philosophy surrounds the need to help students bridge the gap between previous experiences and educational endeavors and their own personal learning styles,” she said.

Cagle said she believes in active learning for both in-person and online class platforms and therefore seeks constant feedback to improve the “high impact” and quality of her courses. She enjoys teaching vertical alignment of English classes as it helps her see the nuances of analytical reading, thinking and compositional skills over a duration of her students’ journey.

“I teach English in a way that engages their curiosity, opens their minds, and envelopes their own personal identity as an individual and a scholar,” she said. “Many of these students have never viewed themselves as an academic scholar. It is exciting to see them open up to the possibilities of future selves.”

The four award recipients were recently recognized for their innovation in teaching, dedication to their discipline and impact in their students’ lives at the campus level and will be honored at an upcoming system event. These faculty are also invited to be recognized at the 2022 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards event held in conjunction with NISOD’s annual international conference in May.

Registration is still available for Next Start 12-week and 8-week sessions beginning in February and March. For information, go to LoneStar.edu/registration.