Lisa Worthington-Groce

(Myrtle Beach, SC) — The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) held its annual conference in Myrtle Beach, SC, March 21-23, 2019. During the conference, Lisa Worthington-Groce, a German and French teacher at Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, NC, was awarded the 2019 SCOLT Teacher of the Year Award. Each state in the thriteen state SCOLT region may send one state language Teacher of the Year to the regional conference.

Lisa was selected on the basis of her excellence in teaching, her strong contributions to world languages, her letters of recommendation, and an interview. She will now advance to the national competition sponsored by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL). During the ACTFL convention in Washington, DC this November, she and four other regional teachers will vie for the title of ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. The teacher selected in November will serve as the national spokesperson for language learning in 2020.

Worthington-Groce currently teaches multiple levels of German and has grown a program from 65 students to over 300 currently. During her tenure at Northwest Guilford High, she has organized German American Partnership Program (GAPP) Exchanges between German and American students. She is a National Board Certified World Language Teacher. A colleague of hers says, “Lisa strives for excellence both in her classroom and outside the walls of the school environment. She impacts student achievement through her use of innovative and authentic language practices. She works to maintain a high level of student interest and engagement through meaningful dialogue and cultural experiences, thus allowing students to see how proficiency in another language promotes their academic abilities and their personal growth, and emphasizes the importance of being global citizens.”

Known to her students as Frau W, Lisa says, “The skills learned in the World Language classroom are at the foundation of a modern enlightened civilization and reinforce the democratic ideals of free speech. Language learners are consistently exposed to the idea that by working together, we are stronger. These capabilities are the cornerstone of a democratic society. Knowledge of other languages and cultures is valuable because it allows humans to interact with one another respectfully and in a manner that leads to increased compassion for different ways of viewing the world.”

The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) is a professional organization whose mission is to promote universal World Language education supported by the community, valued by political and business leaders, encouraged by parents and peers, and taught by exemplary instructors. SCOLT congratulates Lisa on this award and thanks her for her efforts to promote world language learning.