During the ordinary school day, students shuffle into their Spanish classes, prepared to tackle their daily tasks of reading and writing in the foreign language. As students enter Paloma Rosario’s classroom, however, they experience other learning styles besides simply reading a textbook or watching a presentation. Students learn through acting as Rosario leads the class in skits, injecting laughter and entertainment into their average school day. They occasionally take their class outside as well, kicking a soccer ball around as they learn the Spanish language.

Paloma Rosario began teaching Spanish II as a substitute in November. Born in Puerto Rico, Rosario speaks Spanish as her native language, and she came to the United States without any English knowledge. She received her bachelor’s degree in Arts and Sciences at Kent State University, and she currently works to acquire her teaching license. Rosario explained her personal attachment to the Spanish language and how this established a desire to teach the language.

“Spanish is my native language. I was born in Puerto Rico and came here with no knowledge of English, and it took much time and effort to feel comfortable. Now I want to help others feel comfortable with the languages of the world so that they do not hesitate in exploring this grand planet of ours,” Rosario said.

With Rosario’s passion for the globally expanding language, she sees importance in learning Spanish to connect with other people. She highlighted the importance of Spanish, elaborating on her desire to spread her native knowledge.

“38.8 million people speak Spanish in the U.S, and because of this, learning Spanish has become more of a necessity than a priority. In today’s interconnected world with so much global commerce and immigration, those that want to be well-rounded need to be bilingual,” Rosario said.

Aside from the subject of Spanish, Rosario finds importance in the teaching career. She discussed her appreciation for teaching and the motivation behind educating others.

“Throughout my life, I have had my ups and downs, but the teacher figures in my life were always a positive consistency that led me down the right path. So many youths need positive guidance and role models, and I had always wanted to join this club,” Rosario said.

Revere High School and Middle School Spanish teacher Maria Fela mentors Rosario, giving her guidance throughout her new teaching job. Fela assists her with anything from classroom management to parent communications. Fela provided insight to Rosario’s teaching style, noting her background that adds a different perspective to her lessons.

“[Rosario] is a native speaker and thus has a lot of insights concerning the Hispanic culture that many other American teachers may not have due to not having lived or experienced first hand the many unique aspects of the culture,” Fela said.

Through working with Rosario, Fela learned about Rosario as an individual and as a teacher. She praised Rosario’s dedication to educating her students, discussing her work ethic and passion for her job.

“Rosario is a pleasure to work with and is very interested in joining our staff in the future. She is a fast learner and a very caring individual, and that is what you want in a teacher, one who is willing to learn from others to make herself an even better educator. She cares very much for her students and wants to make sure her lessons are complete and understandable and that she is following the curriculum appropriately,” Fela said.

Freshman Bella Uhrich has taken Rosario’s class since Rosario came to Revere in November. Uhrich, who has taken Spanish for two years, mentioned her appreciation for Rosario and satisfaction in her approach to teaching the language.

“Rosario [is] very passionate about trying to teach all her students to speak, write and learn Spanish in fun and intriguing ways [she incorporates] playing soccer outside [and] skits in the classroom. This makes her class very enjoyable and [creates] a good atmosphere,” Uhrich said.

Rosario described the reasoning behind her techniques.

“As a student, I always appreciated teachers that chose educational methods that often differed from the norm. So many classes and teaching methods are mundane and it is nice to spice things up a bit. We certainly try and have as much fun in class while keeping learning a primary goal,” Rosario said.

Rosario mentioned the difficulty of beginning a new teaching job, and she complimented the Revere community on its ability to ameliorate any stress. Additionally, she expanded on the work ethic of the Revere education system.

“Revere is an institution that prides itself on excellence and transparency. These attributes allow both the students and their teachers the best possible education in the area. Furthermore, the support from student’s families and surrounding community allows us to continually progress and never stay stagnant. Even though being new at something always has its challenges, I am extremely grateful that those here at Revere have been able to make this start of this journey a graceful one,” Rosario said.

Rosario’s extensive knowledge of the Spanish language allows her to creatively teach her students, and her passion for
education drives her to establish helpful and personal relationships with them. Having struggled to learn a language in a brand new country herself, she understands the difficulties of mastering a language. This insight allows her to successfully teach and relate to each student.