Ángela Matute Sánchez, a Spanish-language instructor and Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic Linguistics with a minor in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching, is the College of Humanities 2021 Outstanding GAT Award recipient.
Kristin Doran, Assistant Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Director of the Basic Language Program, said of the 80 instructors and GATs she supervises each semester, nobody has received more positive feedback from students during COVID-19 than Sánchez.
“She has gone above and beyond to be available for her students. Her instructor presence has been notable, and she serves as a role model to other teaching faculty at all levels,” wrote Doran in a nomination letter. “Some of Ángela’s most notable qualities as a coordinator are her tireless work ethic, positive attitude, willingness to be a team player and being a strong communicator. Some of her most notable strengths as a GAT are her class management skills, instructional skills and superior student-instructor relationship.”
Of the more than 200 GATs Doran has supervised in the last four years, Sánchez is in the top 1 percent.
“Ángela is also a GAT who embraces technology and integrates technology in and outside of the classroom to enrich her teaching, which has also been key to her success during the pandemic. She has utilized technology to create a collaborative community in her class which helps abate student isolation and loneliness,” Doran wrote.
“She sees her students as real people, living in a real, problematic, and challenging world. Her care for her students does not stop in the classroom or is limited to their academic well-being. She sees her students holistically and assures them that she is available for them in all capacities. Her accountability is a sign of a true educator who genuinely cares for her students and has real instructor impact.”