Dr. Susan Atkins

Biography

Susan Atkins is the English Language Development (ELD) Lead Faculty and Lecturer III at the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education. Her work focuses on preparing teachers to effectively support multilingual learners, emphasizing the need for high-quality education that allows these learners to showcase their strengths. Susan teaches literacy and language courses for students pursuing an MDE PK-12 ESL teaching endorsement and directs the ELD abroad program in Cuernavaca, Mexico. With over 10 years of experience as a bilingual teacher in California, she is committed to making content accessible to all students regardless of their proficiency levels. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Susan collaborates on projects that provide professional development for novice teachers in various educational settings. Her earlier roles included serving as a Title III program administrator and an English Language Development teacher at Mitchell Elementary School, where she worked closely with the University of Michigan to enhance teaching practices. Susan is also an experienced presenter, having spoken at several international education conferences, and serves as a consultant for the Center for Applied Linguistics and the Michigan Department of Education.

Research Interests