By Alfonso De Torres Núñez
Alfonso.detorresnunez@education.ky.gov
Brenna Byrd
Brenna Byrd, an assistant professor of German in the Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department at the University of Kentucky, is the 2016 recipient of the Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA) Outstanding Teacher Award. She received the award Sept. 17 at the KWLA annual conference in Louisville.
Byrd is the director of Beginning German and oversees the curriculum and training of instructors for the first three semesters of German. At the University of Kentucky, she teaches classes on language pedagogy, linguistics, older Germanic dialects and Germanic Mythology. She also created a language based off of Proto-Indo-European with her husband and fellow linguist, Andrew Byrd, for a video game and hopes to use the success of the project to get more people interested in linguistics and languages in general.
Also recognized were four other candidates representing Kentucky Chapters of professional language organizations:
- Agatha Manion, Lincoln County High School, Outstanding French Teacher
- Emmanuel Anama-Green, Harlan County High School, Outstanding Spanish Teacher
- Michael Kluemper, Atherton High School (Jefferson County), Outstanding Japanese Teacher
- Ben McMaine, Carter G. Woodson Academy (Fayette County), Outstanding National Network for Early Language Learning Teacher
Greg Roush
Byrd received the Outstanding German Teacher award. She will represent Kentucky world language teachers at the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) in March in Orlando, Fla., where she will be eligible for the SCOLT Teacher of the Year award.
Four others also received awards from the KWLA:
- Greg Roush, Western Hills High School (Franklin County), Outstanding Administrator
- Jennifer Kennedy, Southern Elementary School (Fayette County), Outstanding New Teacher
- Brandi Larkey, Director of High Marks Center at Lexington Catholic High School, Amici Linguarum
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