Dr. Vivian Presiado was recently named the College of Education (COE) Teacher of the Year for 2023. This award recognizes an educator who has demonstrated exceptional teaching abilities, innovative practices, and a deep commitment to student success.
When asked, Presiado shared that “receiving this award is not only a personal honor but a reflection of the collective effort and commitment of everyone involved in our mission at ISU to promote equity and inclusion in education and communities that are historically marginalized.”
Presiado, assistant professor of bilingual/bicultural education in the School of Teaching and Learning and first-generation Chicana, stays motivated because of her students. “Engaging with prospective students and passionate colleagues keeps me inspired. The work that we do in education is work that we do together, a piece of a puzzle, and each of us plays a vital role.”
Among her many accomplishments, Presiado expressed great pride in the Nurturing Dreams for Blooming Bilingual Leaders project she started with Dr. Evelyn Baca and Kim Tabor. She also completed this project in collaboration with her bilingual education colleagues Drs. Handsfield, Skinner, Choi, Augspurger, Antink-Meyer, and Mikulec, partners Dr. Juliet Lynd and the Department of Languages, Maura Toro-Morn, and the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program. With support from a College of Education EDIA Seed Grant, they brought 50 first-generation Latinx high school students from Bloomington and Urbana to ISU. Unlike at other universities, these students were guided by 25 Latinx ISU students, who shared their stories and inspired the next generation of bilingual leaders, showing how powerful it can be to give presentations in both Spanish and English.
As an educator in bilingual/bicultural education, Presiado strives to help students become lifelong learners and encourages them to leave their “huellas” (footprints), or mark in the world, wherever they go. Preparing students to collaborate and function in a diverse world and their position in it, as well as providing a curriculum that creates a community of learners in which students become part of a family with whom they can share their thoughts and experiences throughout the program, are all reasons Presiado earned this award.
Presiado invites educators and pre-service teachers to think about their “constant state of becoming,” and when interacting in the classroom, recognize that even if they feel that language, race, power, and identity are not a part of their classes, they in fact are, in official and unofficial ways. Thinking critically and taking on the responsibility of what knowledge entails, will result in a commitment to fundamental change in teaching practices, curriculum, and school policy in pursuit of equity for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
The School of Teaching and Learning’s Interim Director Dr. Erin Mikulec was ecstatic to learn that Presiado was the recipient of the COE Teacher of the Year honor. “Dr. Presiado’s expertise and commitment to her teaching practice cannot be overstated. She is passionate about bilingual education, dedicated to preparing teacher candidates to enter the field, and seamlessly incorporates valuable learning experiences into her classes while supporting her students in their development. In her time in the School of Teaching and Learning, she has become an exemplary professor, advocate, and leader for bilingual education,” she said.
Presiado earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an M.S.Ed. from Dominican University, and a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago.
