Bethany Zapata-Wendt
Affiliated Faculty - Education
Education
M.A. Teaching - Curriculum & Instruction (ESL), Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL 2017
M.A. Teaching - Reading Specialist, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL 2012
B.A. Education, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL 2008
Associated Academic Programs
Education“It’s imperative to study how to best teach our students so that they can grow to be productive members of society. Not only academically but also socially. “
When Bethany Zapata-Wendt graduated from Trinity in 2009 and the Troll left a profound imprint on her heart. This impact was so profound that her husband and she got married in the Fireside Room in 2014. Her favorite thing about teaching here is getting to see the passion that the teaching candidates have for their call to education.
After graduation, Zapata-Wendt was thrust into a kindergarten position and the thirty kids that she was serving at the time had significant delays in early childhood education specifically in reading. She knew that She was inept in utilizing best practice reading strategies to intervene on their behalf so she went to graduate school to become a reading specialist. From there, she noticed that within her district that many of the students were non-native English speakers. Although she does speak Spanish fluently, she wanted to know about what best practice instruction looked like through the ESL lens and so pursued her second masters degree in English as a Second Language. With all the newfound knowledge she had now, her superintendent at the time asked her to take the position of Reading Specialist within the district. From that position, she felt underprepared in understanding the “why” behind curriculum and what different interventions could be used so Zapata-Wendt again went back to school to get her final masters degree in curriculum and instruction.
It’s imperative to study how to best teach our students so that they can grow to be productive members of society. Not only academically but also socially.
There are two main things she wants my students to take away from the courses she teaches: content and confidence. It is so important that they learn the “how” part of teaching. Logistically, what can we do to ensure student success in our future classrooms. More importantly is the confidence that they will have after leaving Trinity to know wholeheartedly that they are capable of being amazing teachers.
When Zapata-Wendt is not teaching, she is likely to be found on the bleachers watching on her kids play!
- + Expertise
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When Bethany Zapata-Wendt graduated from Trinity in 2009 and the Troll left a profound imprint on her heart. This impact was so profound that her husband and she got married in the Fireside Room in 2014. Her favorite thing about teaching here is getting to see the passion that the teaching candidates have for their call to education.
After graduation, Zapata-Wendt was thrust into a kindergarten position and the thirty kids that she was serving at the time had significant delays in early childhood education specifically in reading. She knew that She was inept in utilizing best practice reading strategies to intervene on their behalf so she went to graduate school to become a reading specialist. From there, she noticed that within her district that many of the students were non-native English speakers. Although she does speak Spanish fluently, she wanted to know about what best practice instruction looked like through the ESL lens and so pursued her second masters degree in English as a Second Language. With all the newfound knowledge she had now, her superintendent at the time asked her to take the position of Reading Specialist within the district. From that position, she felt underprepared in understanding the “why” behind curriculum and what different interventions could be used so Zapata-Wendt again went back to school to get her final masters degree in curriculum and instruction.
It’s imperative to study how to best teach our students so that they can grow to be productive members of society. Not only academically but also socially.
There are two main things she wants my students to take away from the courses she teaches: content and confidence. It is so important that they learn the “how” part of teaching. Logistically, what can we do to ensure student success in our future classrooms. More importantly is the confidence that they will have after leaving Trinity to know wholeheartedly that they are capable of being amazing teachers.
When Zapata-Wendt is not teaching, she is likely to be found on the bleachers watching on her kids play!