Mr. Smith joins the 8/9 division as a Spanish 1 and 2 teacher this year! He teaches two ninth grade blocks and three eighth grade blocks and wants his students to know that he is here to help them. He began learning Spanish when he was in eighth grade and states that Spanish changed his life. He wants the language to have the same impact on his students. Mr. Smith lives with a Spanish speaking wife. He now speaks more Spanish than English at home.
Before teaching, Mr. Smith served in the Navy for seven years. His greatest lesson from the Navy was, “It’s all about the basics.” Mr. Smith’s teaching methods reflect these words. He maintains the thought that when learning any language, it is all about the basics. He leads all his classes through review and memorization so they have a good foundation to build upon.
Before teaching Spanish, Mr. Smith was a history teacher. His knowledge of history guides his Spanish instruction. He likes teaching his students the history of Spanish-speaking countries to give them more context when speaking the language.
Mr. Smith loves spending time with his wife and a five-year old daughter named Emma. His favorite thing to do with Emma is to read a book. Sometimes he will take her up to Santa Fe for the day. Before settling down with his family, he attended college at UCLA, UNM, and Saint John’s University. When he was younger, Mr. Smith wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. He says “I just remember wanting to make a difference in the world.” Mr Smith believes that young people improve the world.
When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Mr. Smith smiles, and says he would give himself more credit for his hard work and acknowledge that there’s no finish line. Mr. Smith believes that this is also valuable advice for his students. He doesn’t want his students to put unnecessary pressure on themselves because he believes that in order to learn a language you have to make mistakes. Mr. Smith stands by the idea that you never stop learning. He believes that this applies to everything, Spanish especially.
Mr. Smith is an amazing addition to the Academy. We hope he stays for many years!