Instructor: Michele Whaley

Michele Whaley
 Biography: Michele Whaley has taught languages in Alaska for more than thirty years. She has mentored teachers for the last fifteen, sharing methodology techniques locally, nationally and internationally at language conferences and workshops. A recent focus is on preserving indigenous languages. Michele believes that languages open our eyes to new ways of thinking and communicating, and she works to find and share the most effective techniques for language acquisition. Michele was the 2016 Pacific Northwest Language teacher of the year and she was a national finalist in 2017. She teaches Russian at the University of Alaska and kindergarten through fifth-grade Spanish at Pacific Northern Academy in Anchorage. She has been part of COSSI since its inception.

Classes by this instructor


COSSI Group A Language Lab: Beginning Low-Beginning Mid

This blended level course is for students with no previous, or just a brief previous, introduction of Spanish. It is intensive language instruction with an emphasis on developing basic communication skills in Spanish. This course will introduce students to the most frequently-used verbs in Spanish so that students can immediately understand and share important needs and information. Students will learn greetings, expressions of courtesy and other useful beginning vocabulary through introductions, stories and songs. Group A will be taught using 70%-90% comprehensible Spanish at this level.
June 22-25, 2026 | 8:30am-4:30pm PDT | Redmond

TCI Oregon: The Power of Teaching with Comprehensible Input

Calling all second-language teachers in need of a fresh spark! Join us for The Power of TCI, a groundbreaking conference devoted to Teaching with Comprehensible Input. Designed especially for educators experiencing burnout or seeking new inspiration, this immersive event will help you rediscover the joy and connection at the heart of language teaching. Calling all second-language teachers in need of a fresh spark!
June 29, 2026 to July 1, 2026 | 9:00am-5:00pm PDT | REDMOND