Hello again, today I want to share with you about a teacher who impacted my life. To make an impression is one thing but to leave an impact is another. In 8th grade I had the privilege of having a teacher who on papers probably should not have been teaching. Senora Medina, a unexpected candidate to teach middle school Spanish. Not unexpected in her skill set, no Senora was a native Spanish speaker. However, Senora Medina’s first year of teaching was at the age of 43. She had no previous training as a student and was hired just three days before school. Never the less she was perfect, or as perfect as one can be. She had no idea the impact she would leave on a 13-year-old.
Senora Medina ill-prepped as she was made Spanish a blast. I learned so much in that class. We used online websites to practice, wrote flashcards daily, learned a new song in Spanish every week, and even spoke in Spanish in front of the class. One of my favorite days was cultural day. On the last Monday of the week we drew from a jar that had Latin American countries labeled on pieces of papers. We then we recuired to bring something from that country on Friday. It could be art, clothing, or my favorite… FOOD. It was such a nice break from our crazy middle school lives to sit and be “one with the world” as Senora would say. Senora Medina was unlike any teacher I have ever had because everything she did in class was all on her, She didn’t have exact plans on what to do for the year, or typical assignments because she didn’t have that opportunity to learn during student teaching. Her age made it harder to find what clicked with her students, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love us. Senora was so nice and so invested in her students. She had this policy that every Monday and Friday during lunch her room would be open. She used to say, “It’s good to start and end your week eating with those you care for”.
I hope to be an empathetic and passionate teacher like Senora Medina. A teacher who embraces her uniqueness and differences, and tries new ideas from time to time, a teacher who after her first year of teaching spent her whole summer preparing her lesson plans for the following years making it easier to be a teacher and leaving more time to be the “mom” some students need. Preparation is key to success in a classroom but at the same time, so is a big “corazon”!
Peace n’ Blessings
-Aspen
Aspen's State of Mind 