After so many teachers left over the summer and a lot of new teachers came in to fill in their positions, I wanted to get to know a little bit more about these new teachers. I interviewed two new teachers and one of their students to understand how they are doing in their new roles so far. I asked two new teachers, Ms. Aurora Hibbert and Mrs. Luz Torres, a few questions to understand a little bit more about them.

This year is Ms. Hibbert’s first year teaching and she is very passionate about teaching English. She believes it can teach people more than just literature and it’s the reason she wanted to become a teacher.

“Teaching specifically is a really unique opportunity to create safe spaces for students who need them and when you’re young you don’t have control over a lot of things and the privilege of teaching is being able to offer the opportunity of growth in a safe space because that is not something that is guaranteed to kids, that’s not something that I was guaranteed which is why I’m so passionate about it.”

Ms. Hibbert thinks that books provide safe opportunities for students to grow and learn.

“When we talk about growing in safe spaces, books are the safest space that there can be. It’s a world that is apart from your own, it is something entirely your experience”.

And aside from being a safe space for students, Ms. Hibbert talked about how books are good for increasing empathy.

“Books actually, studies show, increase your empathy as a human person, because you’re reading and experiencing things from somebody’s point of view that isn’t yours.” And she further elaborates on the empathy point, “and so as they process whatever is going on in the book, you’re processing it with them and you’re actually going through emotions that have to do with experiences that you’ve never experienced and it develops your empathy as a human.”

Ms. Hibbert shared a story about a teacher she had that made her want to do something differently as a teacher.

“The teacher I didn’t want to be . . . gave you all of your assignments at the very beginning of the school year and then you did nothing in her class.” She went on to explain how she could not do well in that class.

“There were certain kids who thrived on that, there were a lot of kids who didn’t because she wasn’t actually teaching she was just giving you the work”.

Moving on to our second teacher, Mrs. Torres. This year is her first year teaching at our school but she has taught before in her home country of Venezuela where she was a Spanish and a special education teacher. She really takes education very seriously and makes sure everyone understands.

“ I loved Spanish. Actually, in my country I was teaching Spanish too.”

Mrs. Torres said she likes listening to music and cleaning. She thinks that Spanish is important for students to learn because you never know when you may need it.

“It’s because it’s the second language spoken in the whole world,” I also interviewed one of her students who said her class was interesting even if it can be a bit difficult.

“Its kinda hard but I think I get through it,” said Collin Lewis.

“A good thing (about this class) is I get to learn a new language, bad thing is its hard.”