Ana Carolina Behel enjoys working with children of various language and cultural backgrounds who are learning English as a new language in Grades 2-4 at Weeden Elementary School in Florence, Alabama. A first-generation college graduate, she is currently pursuing her doctorate of education in educational administration from The University of Alabama. Her personal, academic, and professional experiences have given her a global perspective in teaching and have shaped her appreciation for diversity, family engagement, student-centered instruction, and educational excellence. A native speaker of Spanish, Behel grew up in Guatemala, where all instruction was delivered in three languages - German, Spanish, and English.

After earning her high school diploma, her international experiences as an exchange student in Alabama and as a university student in Vienna, Austria led her to pursue a teaching degree where she could use her love of learning, languages, diversity, and different cultures. A 25-year teaching veteran and National Board Certified Teacher, she understands the huge responsibility that educators have in shaping the future of students' lives and is committed to helping her students achieve. She believes that every child deserves an equitable education taught by quality teachers who know their content and students well and who are skilled in using this knowledge to design differentiated instructional tasks that will engage students to set challenging personal and academic goals for themselves. Behel enjoys participating in professional learning activities and frequently shares effective teaching practices with other educators at district, state, and national levels.