Rebekah Stathakis spent the first 18 years of her life living in Spain, Costa Rica and Venezuela. As a young child she learned to speak Spanish and English and appreciates the many benefits of speaking multiple languages. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Teaching from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from DePaul University.

Mrs. Stathakis is passionate about foreign language education and helping all students become multilingual. She has taught a variety of ages from toddlers to college students but especially enjoys working with middle school students. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Stathakis works with students in extra-curricular activities and the yearbook she advised earned multiple national awards.

In 2006, Mrs. Stathakis earned national recognition as a Disney Teacher Honoree. She has also earned awards for her presentations at state and regional conferences. A few of the topics she has presented on include, "Making Grammar Instruction Come Alive," "Vocabulary Toolkit" and "Creativity in the Classroom."

Affiliation

Butler Junior High

Related News & Media

Rebekah Stathakis featured in The Doings–Oak Brook news.

Rebekah Stathakis writes "The First Minutes" for the New Teacher Advocate.

Q&A

Eye On Education: What is your background in Spanish language? Where did you first study the language?
Rebekah Stathakis: I am really lucky; I grew up speaking Spanish—but I understand the struggles of learning a second language, as I have taken courses in French, Italian, and Greek. This perspective has helped me in my efforts to help others develop second-language proficiency. My parents worked at international schools, so I was raised in Costa Rica, Spain, and Venezuela. Technically, Spanish is my first language because my first words were in Spanish...Continue reading on the Eye On Education blog!