As the school year begins, Bridgewater-Raritan High School is proud to welcome two new Spanish teachers to the World Language Department. These two new Spanish teachers are Jose Fernandez and Nidia Sanchez.
Mr. Fernandez, who has been teaching Spanish for 22 years, is now teaching Spanish II Honors and Spanish III Honors at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
Ms. Sanchez, who is currently teaching Spanish IV Academic and Spanish II Honors at BRHS, has also been teaching Spanish for 22 years now.
Both teachers have taught at multiple levels, from elementary and middle school Spanish, all the way up to high school Spanish.
Mr. Fernandez is excited to get adjusted and familiar with the school’s rotating drop schedule and layout. His personal goal for this year is to get used to Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and his goal for his classes is for the students to achieve success in their respective Spanish classes.
Similarly, Ms. Sanchez is excited about meeting new students, coworkers, administrators, and families and building relationships with all of these groups of people. Her main goal for the year is to inspire her students to enjoy learning Spanish and teach them the value of learning about a new culture and language.
When asked about the school environment, both teachers had similar responses. They considered the community, students, teachers, and administrators alike to be very supportive and welcoming.
A Spanish teacher is a career that many choose to pursue. The inspiration behind that career path varies from person to person, and it is clearly evident in these two Spanish teachers’ inspirations.
Ms. Sanchez has always dreamed of becoming a teacher, as her kindergarten teacher had such a positive impact on her. This passion for teaching, combined with her love of the Spanish language and culture, made the path to becoming a Spanish teacher perfect for Ms. Sanchez.
Mr. Fernandez, on the other hand, never even considered being a teacher. However, when he moved to the United States from Colombia, he was surprised to discover that he could have a job where he could share his language and his culture with others. Thus, Mr. Fernandez became a Spanish teacher with a passion to teach others about his language and culture.
Both teachers talk about what they want to improve on for the year.
Ms. Sanchez wants to meet the needs of numerous students while also using more technology and creative activities to increase student motivation.
Mr. Fernandez wants to improve his Spanish teaching techniques and believes that everyone learns every day. This is an important idea that he wants to implement in his class.
Student engagement in lessons is a critical factor for teachers to consider. Both teachers have ideas about how to grasp their students’ attention.
Mr. Fernandez shares how he plans on keeping students engaged throughout the school year.
“I think students are more likely to enjoy learning Spanish if they find things that connect to their everyday life. When a language, such as Spanish, is connected to things that you love, like food and real life, it piques people’s interest to learn more,’ he said. “I love making the students laugh with humorous remarks about the subjects, and it helps keep them engaged in the lesson.”
Ms. Sanchez talks about how she will keep students engaged in lessons.
“I like to connect Spanish to students’ cultural and personal experiences so they can see how the language is useful in real life,” she said. “At the high school level, I incorporate activities that require deeper critical thinking, such as analyzing short articles or videos in Spanish, debating cultural topics, writing reflections that connect language to current issues, and collaborating on projects where students research and present on themes related to Hispanic culture.”
With their experience and passion for not only the language but also for meaningful teaching, both Mr. Fernandez and Ms. Sanchez are ready to leave a lasting impact on the BRHS community.
