Teaching Spanish While Learning the Mustang Language
This year, the Pioneer community welcomes new Spanish teachers to the campus with open arms after the department lost two.
By E. Cortese
This year, the Pioneer community welcomes new Spanish teachers to the campus with open arms after the department lost two.
By E. Cortese
After Eberardo Gonzalez and Eduardo Rodriguez departed last year, the Spanish department added three new teachers of various experiences and backgrounds. This year, Pioneer welcomed Stacie Allen, Isabel Sanchez-Quiza and Miguel Iglesias Nunez to fill three vacant teaching positions.
While some have moved from various countries and states, all bring prior teaching experience to the department as they transition into their new positions on campus.
“I've been in South Carolina for six years,” said Sanchez-Quiza. “I'm also from Spain and back in Spain I taught Spanish for 15 years.”
Despite being new, she feels extremely welcomed and respected by her students and the school community.
“Students here are respectful (and) open minded,” said Sanchez-Quiza. “Back in South Carolina, many students were like ‘I don't get it.’ For example I have an accent, some of them were like ‘I don’t understand you, you have an accent,’ and nobody (here) has told me that. They’re super open, I love it.”
Although new to Pioneer, Iglesias Nunez isn’t new to the district.
“I was teaching at Lincoln High School before,” said Iglesias Nunez.
He also agrees that the school community has been great so far.
“I like the students, they are great and the environment is nice,” said Iglesias Nunez.
Logan Luscher, 10, has enjoyed Iglesias Nunez’s class so far and feels that he is extremely approachable.
“I’ve loved (the class) because he’s a really good teacher and I like how he teaches,” said Luscher. “He’s just really easy to talk to. If I ever have an issue, he’s just right there.”
Allen also brings a multitude of teaching experience from prior experience at various high schools within the Bay Area.
“I taught previously at Archbishop Mitty for nine years and before that a high school in the North Bay,” said Allen.
Although it’s her first year at Pioneer, she feels right at home in her positionon campus.
“It's been welcoming. I actually had a student ask me if I had always been in this classroom and I said it's my first year on campus,” said Allen.
Although a junior in Allen’s mostly freshman filled class, Madilynn Grace Reis has felt comfortable and welcomed by her classmates.
“The people in class are really cool to be around. Even though I’m older it’s still cool to be around them,” said Reis.
Sean Khouri, 10, has greatly enjoyed Sanchez-Quiza’s class so far and has felt that the class atmosphere has been beneficial.
“I have enjoyed her class because there’s not a lot of pressure and it’s kind of fun in her class,” said Khouri.
Khouri has also felt that Sanchez-Quiza’s teaching style has made learning Spanish much easier.
“Sometimes it’s challenging to memorize the words but she’s a good teacher so eventually you memorize the words and what they mean,” said Khouri.
As the year continues, Sanchez-Quiza hopes to create a community that enjoys the Spanish language and heritage.
“My biggest hope is to spread the hispanic culture and to get the students to love it and to help students continue learning Spanish because that would be super nice,” said Sanchez-Quiza.
While some have moved from various countries and states, all bring prior teaching experience to the department as they transition into their new positions on campus.
“I've been in South Carolina for six years,” said Sanchez-Quiza. “I'm also from Spain and back in Spain I taught Spanish for 15 years.”
Despite being new, she feels extremely welcomed and respected by her students and the school community.
“Students here are respectful (and) open minded,” said Sanchez-Quiza. “Back in South Carolina, many students were like ‘I don't get it.’ For example I have an accent, some of them were like ‘I don’t understand you, you have an accent,’ and nobody (here) has told me that. They’re super open, I love it.”
Although new to Pioneer, Iglesias Nunez isn’t new to the district.
“I was teaching at Lincoln High School before,” said Iglesias Nunez.
He also agrees that the school community has been great so far.
“I like the students, they are great and the environment is nice,” said Iglesias Nunez.
Logan Luscher, 10, has enjoyed Iglesias Nunez’s class so far and feels that he is extremely approachable.
“I’ve loved (the class) because he’s a really good teacher and I like how he teaches,” said Luscher. “He’s just really easy to talk to. If I ever have an issue, he’s just right there.”
Allen also brings a multitude of teaching experience from prior experience at various high schools within the Bay Area.
“I taught previously at Archbishop Mitty for nine years and before that a high school in the North Bay,” said Allen.
Although it’s her first year at Pioneer, she feels right at home in her positionon campus.
“It's been welcoming. I actually had a student ask me if I had always been in this classroom and I said it's my first year on campus,” said Allen.
Although a junior in Allen’s mostly freshman filled class, Madilynn Grace Reis has felt comfortable and welcomed by her classmates.
“The people in class are really cool to be around. Even though I’m older it’s still cool to be around them,” said Reis.
Sean Khouri, 10, has greatly enjoyed Sanchez-Quiza’s class so far and has felt that the class atmosphere has been beneficial.
“I have enjoyed her class because there’s not a lot of pressure and it’s kind of fun in her class,” said Khouri.
Khouri has also felt that Sanchez-Quiza’s teaching style has made learning Spanish much easier.
“Sometimes it’s challenging to memorize the words but she’s a good teacher so eventually you memorize the words and what they mean,” said Khouri.
As the year continues, Sanchez-Quiza hopes to create a community that enjoys the Spanish language and heritage.
“My biggest hope is to spread the hispanic culture and to get the students to love it and to help students continue learning Spanish because that would be super nice,” said Sanchez-Quiza.