Spanish Track Faculty

It has been a wonderful experience to see children learning another language and culture. I really enjoy the family environment at TIS, and I love watching my little ones becoming independent little people and talking my language.Like many parents, I think TIS offers a wonderful gift we can give our children. It gives them another door to our world.

Spanish Track PreK (3 year olds) Teacher

I became a teacher because it was the first job that I really enjoyed.  My work makes me smile every day and I learn so much from the children. As a preschool Spanish teacher, I of course want to help my students become bilingual and acquire new knowledge, but I also want to teach them to be open-minded and responsible.I started at TIS in the summer camp program and then became a full-time part of the school as a PreK teacher.

I love being a part of The International School because it is a tight knit community made up of so many cultures. The exposure to different cultures on a daily basis is such a great experience- both for the students and for me!

I am a Puerto Rican girl who loves to be around children. I enjoy my work a lot. For me, working with children is not just about teaching them. It is also about learning with them and appreciating who they are. As a teacher, I see myself as a facilitator for my children. My job is to help them or guide them to discover how wonderful they are, and how great it is to learn new things. Also, I want them to realize that they are little teachers for one another, exchanging their knowledge and skills.

Click here for an article about Jossie.

I strongly believe in the learning abilities and capacities of young students. The stronger the foundations, the more opportunities the children will have to expand their knowledge in the years to come. I enjoy teaching young students about their significant role in the community and love to spend time seeing their minds and intellect grow from day to day. For me, teaching is a passion.

I entered the world of education with the full conviction that I was going to “teach” certain things to the kids, and guide them through their first years of school. After so many experiences, I feel passionate about being there “with them” day by day as I try to get to know them, understand them and enjoy them. They arrive to me every year in September full of anticipation, fears and excitement for the big step: “Kindergarten”. As time goes by, we get to know each other and we form relationships. We learn to negotiate, to work hard, to discuss passionately and to enjoy our little community. But we also try to find our own voices. It is in this complex and unique process that I learn to love the children for who they are, that I try to guide them through academic and emotional success and, most importantly, that I appreciate and celebrate the interactions that we have every day.

I consider myself very lucky! Teaching in The International School allows me to be part of an immersion program in my mother tongue. This is a complex process since it involves the teaching of academic contents, emotional abilities, and daily negotiations in a language that is foreign to the children. To be part of this sophisticated educational environment is an enriching and challenging professional task for me. It is always amazing to “see” the way each child will develop his/her academic abilities through a new language. It is in this stimulating environment that children will surprise me year after year.

Click here for an article about Adela..

Spanish Track Kindergarten Teacher

Every since I was small, I loved doing theater, writing and reciting poems, and participating in reading and writing competitions. Through those efforts I realized that I have the ability to teach and that I really enjoy language – so I decided to study to be a teacher. I love teaching children and working with families. I have now taught all grades from preschool through sixth, working in the classroom, teaching after school programs, and working in administration as a school director. I also have training and experience teaching special needs children which broadens the perspective that I bring to the classroom. I love teaching and working with children and am excited to teach kindergarten at TIS.

I began my career as a teacher in Mexico, my home country, where I worked with children of many different ages and a variety of backgrounds.  When I moved to Portland, I began working at other language programs in the city.  In 2000, I joined The International School and have been here every since!  TIS really is a special place.  I came here because of the Spanish language program, but the school offers so much more.  I get to know people from many other countries, to learn from them, and to share my culture with them.

Through the Primary Years Programme at TIS, kids learn to take responsibility for their own education.  They are more involved.  This way of teaching has been a great match for me; it’s very similar to the methods I learned while working in Mexico. I love spending the day with my students.  They give me such energy and make me feel young.  It’s amazing to watch them discover new things on their own and to be proud of their discoveries.    

Teaching provides me the fulfilling experience of making a difference in young minds. Children are happy, sensitive,creative, full of curiosity and willing to learn. I like TIS values and what its mission stands for. This is why I want my own children to attend TIS because I want them to learn languages skills, respect and understand cultural differences.

Spanish Track 2nd Grade Teacher

Teaching younger children keeps me active intellectually when I have to research and find the best approaches and strategies to teach them effectively. It also gives me the possibility of being one of the positive influences in their lives through the activities and daily interactions in class. It is a joy to be around them encouraging and nurturing their growth.

I like the multiculturalism at TIS, expressed in the three foreign languages and the fact that I can teach academics using my native language. I love to work in a school where all the different constituents respect and value diversity.I enjoy working at TIS because it has a positive atmosphere for children’s development and growth. Being immersed in another language has a positive impact on the students’ lives and helps them learn other frames of reference besides the one from their own culture.

I became a teacher because I wanted to work with kids. They are so honest and eager to learn. Teaching presents new challenges and opportunities every day. My favorite part of the day is when I greet kids in the morning. I let them know that it’s a new day, full of possibilities.

In my classroom, I strive to create a safe, secure and caring environment where students know that their ideas and opinions will be respected by the teacher and the class. I like to create an environment where students are constantly challenged. I also work to help them develop life long learning skills, such as critical thinking. I want my students to leave my class knowing that they have the skills to go out and solve problems. I want them to be able to thrive in a multicultural world.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions. It is a delight to be involved in the development of younger children, especially because you get to see them grow and become independent. I am aware of the big responsibility that being a teacher implies, since children spend most of their time at school with us.I really enjoy teaching at TIS because of the multicultural environment it promotes. It is amazing to see little children who are indeed speaking the target language. But it is not only the target language or the culture that they acquire at TIS, they are also getting ready to be successful citizens of the world.

Spanish Track 3rd Grade Teacher

I have always known that I would be a teacher. Teaching is my passion and I have enjoyed it tremendously all these years. The best feeling in the world is to see a child’s smile after having done something for him or herself or after having learned something new. Anyone who hasn’t felt that is really missing something special.I consider myself so fortunate!

Teaching at TIS allows me to be part of an immersion program in my native language. Language is our most beautiful and surprising ability. I am very proud to be involved our students’ development; I love watching them become independent, contributing people, well-prepared for success with their second language. Being immersed in another language will have a positive effect on their lives, allowing them to understand other cultures in addition to their own. Children’s ability to absorb and learn is infinite; it is our work to help them establish a strong foundation onto which they can build a successful future with an international conscience.

I have been teaching children at the elementary school level since I was 18 years old, and I especially love to teach first and second grades. Teaching allows me to be in contact with people and learn new things on a daily basis. I have also worked with children who have dyslexia and troubles with their attention span. As part of my passion I worked for an association (ABANSA) that has as a mission to help homeless children. I helped them create an after-school program for homeless children and a training and development center for their parents.

I like to spend my free time doing activities with my family such as cooking and dancing.

Spanish Track 5th Grade Teacher

After volunteering on weekends at an elementary school at the age of thirteen, I decided to become a teacher. I taught at Salesian Catholic School and at Rufina Cuervo Public School in Bogotá before moving to the USA. Teaching continues to be a very satisfying career for me. My preference has always been teaching children in elementary school.

A great responsibility is put into our hands to educate today the citizen of tomorrow. I believe it is very important to prepare meaningful lessons to give our students a solid foundation so they can participate sensibly in today’s society. It gives me enormous satisfaction to see my students’ academic and social growth.

Teachers at TIS distribute ideas, materials, experience, and methodology among the different tracks to enhance students’ educational experiences. It is wonderful to be able to contribute and also receive the benefits from the vision brought to TIS by teachers from different countries. The administration is open and supportive of new ideas and methods that provide the best education for our children.

I enjoy the children’s learning process and seeing their success. I am excited about all the different cultures and languages with students and teachers at The International School. There is a lot to learn!

I love working with children. One of my desires is to see them grow and mature in every area of their learning. I enjoy being part of that growth and knowing that in educating the young minds of the future, I am planting a seed that will bloom into a beautiful flower and will yield good fruits. I believe that part of that knowledge is transmitted through the Hispanic culture and language, and will equip children to become successful citizens in the era of globalization.

I love to teach at a language immersion school not only because I can teach Spanish, but also because it gives me the opportunity to share my own culture. I also enjoy being a part of The International School because of the diversity here as well as the tremendous parent involvement that it is demonstrated every day.

What I would like to see from the children, in addition to learning the Spanish language, is that through my guidance their weaknesses will become their strengths which helps them improve their own self-esteem. Working with children and seeing them grow in these areas throughout the school year is such a rewarding experience.

Even as a young girl, I was interested in working with children. I’ve always been fascinated by them. I especially like to work with three and four year olds. It’s such an interesting time in a child’s development. At The International School, it’s also the time when they first begin to learn a new language and it’s great to watch their progress in this area. I love hearing them use their new words in the classroom and being able to share my language and culture with them. My own daughter is currently enrolled in the Japanese Track at TIS and I love watching her take her own steps into a new language and culture.

Spanish Track Assistant Teacher

In my native country of Costa Rica, I ran a daycare that served the children of adolescent mothers living in poverty.  It was a very memorable and wonderful experience.  It made me want to be a teacher. I went back to school to get my degree in education and continued to work with students in high-risk areas.

When I moved to Portland, I began teaching Spanish to both children and adults.  I joined The International School as a teacher assistant in 2011. I am so pleased to be a part of this amazing school and to again be working with pre-school aged children.

My favorite part of the day is Circle Time.  I love seeing the children’s faces when they learn something new or do something for the first time.  I also love that the students at TIS are so open to other cultures, other languages, and even different Spanish accents.  I feel very fortunate to be a part of this community.