LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Claudia Lancheros was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Lancheros creates a dynamic, inclusive, and student-centered environment in her foreign language classroom, believing it is essential for student success and engagement. She sets clear expectations and fosters a safe space where students feel empowered to take risks and make mistakes, which is an important part of language acquisition. Through interactive activities such as role-plays and group tasks, she enables students to practice real-world language use, making learning both meaningful and motivating.

Ms. Lancheros provides continuous, constructive feedback and encourages self-reflection, helping students track their progress and build confidence. She emphasizes collaboration, knowing that peer interaction enhances communication skills and builds a supportive classroom culture. By incorporating authentic materials and real-world contexts, she ensures that language learning remains relevant to students' lives.

She also promotes student autonomy by offering task choices, encouraging independence and responsibility. One of her innovative strategies is the use of board games in the Spanish classroom. These games create a fun, low-pressure environment that supports vocabulary development, grammar reinforcement, and critical thinking. Students engage in active learning through conversation-based games that simulate real-life communication, fostering both language proficiency and cultural awareness. Ms. Lancheros effectively integrates games as warm-ups, reinforcement tools, and formative assessments, tailoring them to different proficiency levels and lesson stages.

Career Accomplishments:

Sponsor of the International Skills Diploma Seal Program (Georgia Department of Education, 2025) – Leads and supports students in developing global competency skills as part of this prestigious initiative.

Finalist, Carroll County School System Teacher of the Year (2024–2025) – Recognized for excellence in teaching and student engagement districtwide.

Temple High School Teacher of the Year (2024–2025) – Honored for outstanding contributions to education and student development at the school level.

Founder of the “Santiago de Cali” Chapter of The National Hispanic Honor Society (2023) – Established a chapter to celebrate and recognize academic achievement in Spanish language and culture.

Foreign Language Department Chair (2023–present) – Oversees curricular development, fosters professional growth, and advances the quality of foreign language education at her school.