In high schools in New York State, you are required to take a language course. At my school we took Spanish. In the ninth and tenth grade Spanish classroom, I was walking into a new world every second and eighth period those years. In that class, we spoke minimal English unless asking what a word was. We did things that other classes didn’t, we would make specific foods, do research on lives and living in a Spanish country, immersing us in a new world.Â
I could not be more thankful for my teacher, Mrs. Smith, who allowed us to unapologetically learn about Spanish. We were allowed to make mistakes, allowed to try new things and learn in are our own way. Mrs. Smith was the best Spanish teacher ever; I might be a little biased, but I don’t care. Just getting to see her face every day would put a smile on mine. If we got good grades on quizzes or exams, she would bring in candy. Mrs. Smith was always down to throw a party instead of having class, but we were only allowed Spanish treats to still be learning. She made me fall in love of with Spanish.Â
While I have had other Spanish teachers, she was by far the favorite. My favorite memory of her was when we watched “Encanto”, we still had to do a worksheet on it, but after the movie was over, we each got to pick a food that was in the movie. Then we also dressed up as one of the characters in the movie. This immersed my class and I further into the world of Hispanic culture. There isn’t much that I miss from high school, but her class is one of them.Â
Not only did the class affect me positively, learning Spanish changed my life. It brought me closer to a culture that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to experience in my small town. While, allowing me to gain perspective of the greater world around me. Spanish, a language spoken around the world had managed to not only give me a positive connection, but memories that I still remember today.Â
Walking into the world of Hispanic culture has been my favorite trip to go on in my life. Leaving that class, I felt fulfilled, sure that I was learning new material that would forever affect me even after high school. It gave me time to escape my own personal world and dive into the world that others my age are experience in their normal day to day life. I am beyond grateful that I was able to learn about the culture and immerse myself in it.Â
I am thankful I got to walk into a new world.Â