DoDEA Pacific Public Affairs
Unit 35007
APO, AP 96376
DSN: 315-544-5657
From the States: 011-81-6117-55-5657
PublicAffairs@pac.dodea.edu
The DoDEA Pacific Public Affairs Office initiates and manages DoDEA's communications and outreach efforts for the Pacific to include Guam, Japan, Okinawa, South Korea. The office is responsible for media relations, internal information programs and communication with students, parents, teachers, school administrators and the public.
DDESS-Guam 2011 Teacher of the Year
For Immediate Release — June 2, 2010 | Pacific
DDESS Guam District: | DSN: 344-9578
Suzette Kioshi Nelson
June 2, 2010 — DDESS-Guam Superintendent, Dr. Gayle Vaughn-Wiles is pleased to announce Mrs. Suzette Kioshi Nelson, Language Arts teacher at Andersen Middle School, as the 2011 District Teacher of the Year. A panel convened on 3 May to review applications for the District Teacher of the Year. Selection was based on the panel’s recommendation on several factors that included letters of recommendation, teacher’s leadership skills, leadership roles assumed in the school, teaching practices based on DoDEA standards and her potential platform as a national spokesperson representing the teaching profession.
Mrs. Nelson has 27 years of teaching experience. She has taught the last 13 years in DoDEA schools on Guam. She worked for five years as an English as a Second Language Specialist, and eight years as the Language Arts, Drama and Speech teacher at Andersen Middle School.
In addition, Mrs. Nelson worked at the Clover Park School District in Lakewood, Washington. She taught Reading and Language Arts at Hudtloff Junior High and Literature at Lakes High
School. Mrs. Nelson has also worked in various schools on Guam. She started out teaching English at Bishop Baumgartner Junior High, and then moved on to Untalan Middle School to teach Language Arts. After her return from Tacoma, she taught English as a Second Language at Harmon Loop Elementary School before moving to DoDEA schools.
Mrs. Nelson received her Bachelor in Liberal Arts from Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 1980. She earned her teaching certificate in 1984 and Masters in Education in 1989, both from the University of Guam.
Before starting her teaching career, Mrs. Nelson spent several years as a reporter and journalist. Her understanding of the media and its impact on society has influenced her teaching in the classroom and desire to help students navigate the digital age and use technology to make a difference. Her classroom lessons often include opportunities for students to move beyond the text and technology and to use their knowledge to plan and effect positive change in their world.