Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

ESOL instructor Rachel Skinner wins statewide teaching excellence award

Photos and story by Misty Bouse

Instructor Rachel Skinner of Southwest Portland has received the Oregon Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Award of Excellence in Teaching, recognizing her student-first approach in Portland Community College’s ESOL Program.

“Being chosen for the ORTESOL Award of Excellence in Teaching is truly an honor and deeply meaningful to me,” Skinner said. “ORTESOL is a community I admire for its generosity, collaboration, and commitment to multilingual learners, and I am grateful to be recognized by colleagues I respect so much.” 

While Skinner is a relatively new instructor, she is already making a significant and positive impact on the program, according to colleagues who have noted her “passion, creativity, and commitment” to her students.  

Skinner shared that a bilingual journey of living in Brazil deeply shaped her view of language and culture. Nowadays, she uses that experience as fuel in supporting learners as they navigate new languages, communities, and ways of seeing the world. In her U.S. culture class for international students, she organizes field trips that support cultural integration, including basketball games at the Moda Center, as well as on-campus visits to the PCC Maker Lab and other outings.

“It is evident Rachel goes above and beyond in several projects she has initiated or collaborated on,” said fellow ESOL faculty Luciana Diniz. “She is an inspiration to both instructors and students within our department.”

The ESOL faculty serves as the new editor of The Ambassador, the ESOL department’s tri-annual magazine, encouraging students to contribute and helping showcase their work. Colleagues said Skinner’s focus on equitable, student-centered learning, particularly for vulnerable learners who benefit from extra time and individualized instruction, is a difference maker.

She launched “Literacy Hour” at Sylvania Campus to provide extra reading and writing support for Level 1 students, then expanded it to other ESOL learners who needed additional practice. She recruited and trained volunteers for one-on-one tutoring and worked with local literacy groups to connect tutors with multilingual learners.

Skinner received seven independent nominations, higher than the typical one or two, according to ORTESOL’s Grants and Awards Committee. This committee evaluates candidates on meeting student needs, strong instruction, innovation, equity and inclusion, and leadership among peers.

“This award affirms the joy and purpose I find in teaching and reminds me why I am so passionate about supporting learners as they grow in language, confidence, and connection,” she said.

Skinner holds a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages from Portland State University and has taught English for more than three years. She volunteered with the Beaverton Literacy Council and assists with tutor training at Portland Literacy Council. Along with a certificate, Skinner received a $100 cash prize and selected a free ORTESOL membership for next year.

For information about PCC ESOL classes, visit pcc.edu/esol.