A teacher at Gainesville High School has been named Teacher of the Year by the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG).
Spanish teacher, Ana Diaz will be formally presented with the award at the FLAG annual conference held in Atlanta in March.
The FLAG Teacher of the Year award recognizes teachers who effectively strive to use various
strategies, techniques, and materials to enhance the students’ interest in, acquisition of, and
proficiency in a second language.
Diaz introduced AP Spanish Language to GHS beginning
with 15 students its first year. In its second year the class grew to 81 students followed by the
addition of AP Spanish Literature for the first time in school history with 30 students in its first year.
“I eagerly anticipate witnessing Gainesville High School maintain its pioneering role as a leader in
World Language initiatives,” said Diaz. “FLAG gave me the opportunity to champion inclusivity
at the state level and advocate for the Natives and Heritage Speaker category in
the FLAG Spoken Language Contest, allowing students to showcase their unique linguistic
heritage.”
In 2021, Diaz crafted tasks and rubrics for the contest and, in 2022, served as a judges’
coach. Gainesville will serve as host for the FLAG Spoken Language Contest for North Georgia
this year, providing a platform for students to showcase proficiency levels in French, Chinese
and Spanish across all levels.