• by Paul Slocumb •

Mandy Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, will speak at Sul Ross State University on Monday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. in Marshall Auditorium.

Manning, who was named Washington State’s Teacher of the Year in September 2017, received her National Teacher of the Year honor in April when she was chosen by a selection committee made up of national education organization representatives.

As an English teacher for newly arrived refugee and immigrant students, Manning works at Joel E. Ferris High School’s Newcomer Center in Spokane, Washington.  Utilizing experiential projects like map-making, she has been praised for helping students process their traumas while celebrating their home cultures and learning about their new Spokane community.

Using her Teacher of the Year platform, Manning is encouraging teachers to battle student fears by helping them seek new experiences.

“Let’s teach our students to be fearless,” she says.  “Let’s teach them to be brave when confronted with uncertainty, brave when they fail, brave in meeting new people, brave in seeking opportunities to experience things outside of their understanding.”

Each year, the College of Education and Professional Studies hosts a Poindexter lecture, and Mandy Manning is this year’s featured speaker.  The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Jeanne Qvarnstrom, (432) 837-8395 or jqvarnstrom@sulross.edu.