AACC Spanish Instructor Wins Teacher of the Year

A Spanish instructor at (AACC) was recently named the Maryland Foreign Language Association (MFLA) teacher of the year.

Jodie Stugard-Hogan, of Riva will compete in April for the regional teacher of the year title.

Stugard-Hogan teaches part-time at AACC, but full time at . She was nominated by a former AACC student, the college's world languages department, and both the principal and languages department chair at South River. She was selected as the MFLA Teacher of the Year in October 2011.

Stugard-Hogan said the passion she brings to her classrooms stems from firsthand experience traveling to other countries where she tries to immerse herself in their language, customs, culture and traditions. While she has been to Ireland and Germany, her main focus has been Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

“The lessons are endless, and I grow with each experience whether it is pleasant or puzzling,” she said.

What sets Stugard-Hogan apart is her use of both music and kinesthetic activities with her students to help them remember grammar, verb conjugations or idiomatic phrases, according to a release.

She is a former staff sergeant with the U.S. Army National Guard. Using her military background, she creates songs to the rhythm of military cadences, which are easy for students to recall, she said. She also did research in kinesiology and then developed her own activities and “brain breaks” to keep students actively engaged while they learn, according to the release.

Stugard-Hogan earned a Masters Interuniversitario from the University of Salamanca, Spain; a Master of Arts in Intercultural Communication from University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Master of Arts in Education from Gratz College. In addition to her academic work, she has leadership roles in clubs and administration at South River High and participates in many community service projects.