Tag Archives: Spanish Language Teachers

Spanish language teacher Ellen Holmes earns honors

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I love to share stories about talented classroom teachers who are honored for their dedication and hard work. One of these is Ellen Holmes, a Spanish language teacher at Riverside High School in Durham, North Carolina. She has been named a finalist for 2019-2020 Durham Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Ellen’s career as an educator has spanned seven years so far. She left a career in hospitality to go into teaching. “I became a teacher because I really didn’t feel in my previous career that I was giving back or leaving my mark or doing something that I was really passionate about,” revealed Ellen. “I’m really passionate about working with youth and just sharing my love for the language and culture of Spanish,” she continued. “Honestly, my students are why I teach,” she concluded.

Ellen’s principal, Tonya Williams, cannot heap enough praise on the world language educator. “Ms. Holmes serves our parents as the co-leader of our Grupos de Padres Latinos, and serves her colleagues as a mentor, advocate, and supporter!” Williams remarked. “Ms. Holmes’ passion and expertise is needed to influence education policy and programming, not only at the local level, but also at the state level,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Ellen devotes much of her energy to the school’s Latino students. She serves as the adviser for Destino Success, a club that supports its members culturally, academically, and within their community. Through her efforts, the graduation rates for these students has increased. She has also encouraged the students’ parents to become more involved in the education of their children.

Ellen earned her Bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. After she earned her degree, she spent a semester abroad at Menendez Pelayo International University in Seville, Spain. She earned her teaching credential at North Carolina State University.

Spanish teacher Jessica Crawford offers inspiration

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Here’s your weekly dose of inspiration, provided by Jessica Crawford, a Spanish teacher at Horizon Middle School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “I look forward to coming to work every single day, because I get to work with these great, amazing, talented kids,” says Jessica.

Ivonne Orozco: New Mexico’s 2018 Teacher of the Year

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Ivonne Orozco

Spanish teacher Ivonne Orozco from Albuquerque named New Mexico’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.

When she was only 12 years old, Ivonne’s family immigrated to the United States from Mexico. She started school in the US as an English-language learner, but by the time she reached high school, she was enrolled in honors courses. She also ran cross country and track, and graduated in the top 10% of her class. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at the University of New Mexico  “But I did not get here alone,” Ivonne concedes. “I had teachers and family that set core foundations along my journey that contributed to my success. These included high expectations, staying the course, building a strong voice, and valuing “teachers and education,” she describes.

After her college graduation, Ivonne garnered a position as a Spanish teacher at Public Academy for Performing Arts in Albuquerque. She is in her fourth year there. “Every day in my classroom, I keep in mind that all students can be successful, no matter where they traveled from to get here in the morning, or how much money their parents have, or how much they still have to learn. I keep my expectations high,” Ivonne declares. “It’s unclear why there’s still a misconception out there that students facing challenges at home can’t succeed at school. That is false,” she asserts. “Lowering standards for any of our kids is a disservice. They deserve high-quality standards, options, and teachers,” she concludes.

Ivonne is committed to creating interactive, challenging lessons for all students. She has worked with a team of teachers from across New Mexico to revise blueprints for state level Spanish End of Course exams. She also contributes to an effort to reduce LGBTQ adolescent suicide. In addition, Ivonne is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Secondary Education with a focus on Reflective Practice.

 

Spanish teacher and social commentator Lillian Greer Bedichek

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Lillian Greer Bedichek

Lillian Greer Bedichek

Skilled classroom teachers are often recognized for advanced accomplishments in their field. One teacher that fits this description is Lillian Greer Bedichek, a world languages teacher who is known for her contribution to awareness of social issues in the American Southwest.

Lillian was born in 1885 in Keachie, Louisiana, the daughter of James and Virginia Greer. In 1893, her family moved to Waco, Texas, because her father had accepted employment as vice president of Baylor University.

Upon her high school graduation, Lillian enrolled at Baylor, but later she transferred to the University of Texas. There she majored in Greek and minored in Latin. Lillian earned her Bachelor’s degree from Baylor in 1903. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Texas in 1926.

In 1910, Lillian married celebrated naturalist Roy Bedichek. Before her marriage, the young educator taught in Waco public schools, at Grayson College, and in Deming, New Mexico. When she became pregnant with her first child, Lillian took a break from the classroom. Before long, two additional children were born to the couple.

In 1917, Lillian returned to the classroom when she accepted a position as a Spanish teacher at Austin High School. Eventually, she became the chair of the Spanish Department there. She even published a textbook, Mastering Spanish, in 1945.

Outside of the classroom, Lillian joined a network of educators, folklorists, and writers who were active in raising awareness about social and cultural issues of the American Southwest. She contributed to the movement by writing book reviews and publishing articles about life in the Southwest, including her concerns about sharecropping and land ownership. For her efforts, Lillian was recognized in 1965 as an honorary member of the Texas Institute of Letters. In addition, the University of Texas distributes an annual scholarship named in honor of Lillian and her husband.

Lillian passed away in 1971 at the age of 86. She is buried in Eddy Cemetery in the city of Falls, Texas. To learn more about this amazing chalkboard champion, click on Lillian Greer Bedichek.

Educator Eulalia Bourne: She’s Part of the Colorful History of the West

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EulaliaBourne2[1]American history is full of colorful individuals who made significant contributions to the settlement and development of the West. One such individual is teacher Eulalia Bourne. This remarkable educator, whose career spanned more than four decades, taught elementary school in rural areas, mining camps, and Indian reservations throughout Arizona during some of our country’s most challenging periods: World War I, the Depression, and World War II. This women’s libber was ahead of her time, becoming one of the very few women in her day to own and run her own cattle ranch.

Eulalia thought outside the box in many ways. Every year on the first day of school she would wear a new dress, usually blue to complement her eye color. Every day after that, she wore jeans, Western-style shirts, cowboy boots, and Stetson hats to class. She was once fired for dancing the one-step, a new jazz dance, at a birthday party some of her students attended, because the clerk of the board considered the dance indecent! She even learned to speak Spanish fluently and, when confronted with non-English-speaking students, taught her classes in Spanish, even though it was against the law to do so.

Eulalia is probably best known for producing a little classroom newspaper entitled Little Cowpunchers which featured student writings, drawings, and news stories about classroom events. Today, these little newspapers are recognized as important historical documents of Southern Arizona ranching communities from 1932 to 1943. Additionally, Eulalia published three critically-acclaimed books about her teaching and ranching experiences: Ranch Schoolteacher, Nine Months is a Year at Baboquivari School, and Woman in Levi’s. These volumes, although now out of print, can sometimes be purchased at used book stores and sometimes can be found at online sites featuring royalty-free works. The read is well-worth the search, particularly for those interested in Arizona history.

You can read about Eulalia’s intriguing life in a book entitled Skirting Traditions, published by  Arizona Press Women. You can also find a chapter about her in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.