Jackson Hole High School, Jackson WY
Enroll in a language school in San Roque, Spain, followed by independent exploration of and homestays in Cadiz, Benaocaz and Herradura, to increase personal fluency that will, in turn, improve connections and communications with a growing population of native Spanish speakers.
I was able to bring my family on my adventure to Spain. We explored, learned, and played together. Photo is taken at the rock of Gibraltar where we saw wild monkeys and a gigantic cave.
Yoga is a way for me connect, reflect and improve my health. I did lots of yoga on this trip and this was one of my favorite spots in the tiny mountain town of Benaocaz.
Flamenco is a source of pride in Spain and we enjoyed the cultural experience of passionate stomping, clapping, singing and dancing. Afterwards my daughter and I learned a flamenco dance together.
Exploring the art in the streets of Tangier, Morocco with my daughter in tow. Her legs were tired from so much exploring! The contrast between the cultures of Spain and Morocco after a short ferry ride were remarkable.
My daughters went to summer camp in Spanish while I attended my Spanish classes. It was great for us both to learn and practice Spanish.
Ordering in Spanish is a great way to practice the language. In this photo, I am ordering cookies from the nuns at a convent through a rotating door. We couldn't see each other so I had to rely on spoken language only.
My experience in Spain was magical! The trip was a great mix of culture, adventure, relaxing and learning. I found the art work, architecture and culture incredibly inspiring. The beaches were relaxing, fun for the kids and a place where we heard Spanish all around. Quaint cafes, bakeries and restaurants were great for practicing my Spanish and enjoying the culture. The language classes really challenged me to improve my Spanish skills and renewed my empathy for my students learning English
I learned that my planning and researching helped make our trip flow really well. Having strong intentions while also being flexible and open, allowed us to get the most enjoyment out of our travels. Professionally, I increased my Spanish vocabulary and strengthened my listening and speaking skills. I learned how important visuals are when learning content in a language that is not your native tongue. I know that I can get information across with my expressions and hand gestures.
An unplanned experience I had was taking a sailboat ride which turned into a fantastic language learning opportunity. The couple that owned the boat were bilingual, the wife was from Spain and the husband from Germany. We discussed Spanish culture and language differences. We asked lots of questions and were able to practice our Spanish. I learned a lot in the Spanish class I enrolled in but I also appreciated learning in real world experiences.
I plan to implement my fellowship by using my experience as a language learner and my Spanish language skills to connect and communicate with language learners in my school and community. I also plan to continue to develop my Spanish by practicing with Duolingo, reading in Spanish with my bilingual students and practicing listening and speaking in conversation.
A way I can leverage my fellowship to create authentic learning experiences for students is to use Spanish in conversation to explain content and connect with my students that speak Spanish. I can label classroom materials in Spanish and promote language learning in my art classroom. Empathy for those learning new content and language simultaneously helps me to be patient and understanding with these students whose brains are working extra hard!
My fellowship will extend to my community which has a large amount of Spanish speakers and bilingual people. I will use my language skills and empathy for language learners in parent teacher conferences, after school programs, in restaurants and stores. There are community programs to connect language learners so I can practice with someone who is learning English while I'm learning Spanish.