Dr. Nicole Teyechea

Senior Specialist

nteyechea@niet.org

Dr. Nicole Teyechea is a senior specialist on the West Team at NIET. Dr. Teyechea's work focuses on a systems approach to teaching and learning related to equity. Dr. Teyechea is an award-winning educator and nationally recognized presenter on effective instruction. She is passionate about providing opportunities for all types of learners to access rigorous, grade-level learning. Her expertise lies in the fields of educational leadership, job-embedded professional development, and language acquisition. 

Nicole brings 25 years of experience working across educational communities ranging from preschool to higher education. She has served schools in Arizona and California as a bilingual teacher, ESL teacher, gifted and talented teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, and district curriculum director. Nationally, Nicole has provided consulting services on effective instruction for language learners through Pearson/Savvas and the Bureau of Education and Research (BER). Since 2000, Dr. Teyechea has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University. 

In 2010, Nicole collaborated with NIET as a Regional Master Teacher Leader under the Arizona State University Ready-for-Rigor Project that used the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement across the state of Arizona. As a Regional Master Teacher Leader, Nicole experienced the intentional and systematic support NIET provides for educational leaders and teachers to improve learning opportunities for learners.

An Arizona native and first-generation college graduate, Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a Master of Education in Bilingual Education, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies from Arizona State University.

Dr. Nicole Teyechea

Why are you passionate about working at NIET?

I am passionate about working with NIET because education is in constant change. NIET believes in the people that make up leadership and teaching roles by creating evidence-based systems to build upon their strengths. I have been more successful using the NIET systems and procedures alongside the support of the people who work for NIET. NIET delivers authentic, job-embedded professional development, and educators can always benefit from NIET’s culture and practice of support and follow-through. 

What is your superpower/hidden talent?

I know many people are bilingual, but I consider my bilingualism my superpower. Learning both English and Spanish ignited my curiosity about the social and academic construct of learning. It is this curiosity that motivated me to continue my education and ultimately receive a Ph.D. Along the way, I learned about how bilingualism enhances brain power by strengthening our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I also learned that 90% of the brain develops by the age of 5, and early childhood bilingualism can set children up at an advantage for their educational journey. So in 2010, when my youngest was two years old, I founded a Spanish immersion preschool to educate parents on the power of bilingualism and provide young minds with additional brainpower.