In addition to being an executive director and chair of TESOL, Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick is the counselor for GCU’s Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education as well as Educators Rising of GCU (ER GCU). In her role, she oversees the adjunct faculty and Lopes for Literacy, which is the college’s service outreach initiative. She has fulfilled a variety of roles as an educator for over 20 years. At the beginning of her career, she was a third and fourth grade English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. Prior to joining GCU, she was the instructional specialist, chair of the reading department and coordinator for Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) at a junior high school. Furthermore, she was an adjunct instructor in the Maricopa County Community College District where she taught the Art of Storytelling, ESL courses and education courses to pre-service teachers.

Faculty Spotlight:

I am the executive director of educational outreach and chair of the Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the College of Education at Grand Canyon University. I have fulfilled a variety of roles as an educator for over 20 years. At the beginning of my career, I was a third and fourth grade ESL teacher. Later, I was the instructional specialist, chair of the reading department and coordinator for AVID at a junior high school. Furthermore, I was an adjunct instructor in the Maricopa County Community College District. I joined GCU in 2007 as an assistant professor.

What I enjoy most in the College of Education is our commitment to learning, leading and serving. The faculty, administrators and staff are always striving to lead and motivate our students to pursue their hopes and dreams on their own, while living a purposeful and meaningful life. We embrace our passions and calling to the noblest of professions: teaching. We are committed to making a difference in a diverse and broad educational community. Last, but not least, we pursue this with the heart of service.

1. Be an avid reader! Read children’s books, adolescent books and professional education journals. You can refer to these as you complete your assignments.
2. Start your own classroom library. Being a literate person is the key to a successful education. As a future teacher, you need to provide a print-rich environment for your students.
3. When you find an interesting article or an engaging teaching strategy, file it away in your bag of tricks. As a new teacher, these will come in very handy when you need to supplement and enhance your curriculum.
4. Look for ways to be involved and engaged in your college and education community. This will not only be beneficial for the community, but it will also provide you with the opportunity to network with those who are currently in the education profession.