Name: Kimberly Oxley
Title: Educational Studies Program Director; Instructor
Education: M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Penn State University; B.A., Music, Emory & Henry
College
Office: 304-H Withers/W.T.S. Building
Phone: 803/323-4882
E-mail: oxleyk@winthrop.edu
Web:
Area(s): Culturally and linguistically diverse students and families; English to Speakers
of Other Languages methods and strategies
I am proud to be a first-generation college student and an alumna of Emory & Henry College where I earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance. A mountain campus setting, small classes, and caring professors and role models fostered my success. I began teaching because various mentors believed in me and gave me opportunities to try new things and challenge my skills. Participation in the performing arts and sports has also been central to my engagement as a learner and teacher. I choose to teach at Winthrop because I work with colleagues whose values align with mine, and Rock Hill continually provides opportunities to enhance the quality of life of its people. I have been working with K-12 and adult English learners for the past 20 years, have taught students from over 50 different countries, and began my career teaching English in Brazil. I served as an ESOL teacher in Pennsylvania and Virginia, directed a Middle School Newcomer Program, and worked as an ESOL Specialist/Instructional Coach in the Shenandoah Valley. I hold an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an ESOL Specialist Certificate from Penn State University. Here at Winthrop, I serve as the leader for EDCO 201: Supporting the ESL Student in the General Education Classroom, and I work with the NExT LEVEL grant. I believe in honoring culturally and linguistically diverse students in our communities and schools. It is essential to embrace students’ varied life experiences and heritages to create inclusive school cultures. I feel fortunate to have supported English learners and their families in acclimating to new homes, learning English, navigating school policies and procedures, and collaborating with community services. My dedication lies in advocating for effective services, instructional materials, and curricula, and exploring ways to initiate and sustain parental involvement of culturally and linguistically diverse families. I am committed to fostering co-teaching among content and ESOL teachers and providing professional development about instructional methods that develop academic language and literacy.