Jonathan Fernández

Tell us why you became a teacher

I was first exposed to the world of teaching in elementary school. My aunt worked with students with special needs right next to my classroom and I would go over to help her when I was done with my work. I never realized at the time but it was such a great experience. I loved doing it and it opened my eyes to an experience that made me more empathetic. I also love the feeling of teaching and making bonds with students.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Honestly, I have been blessed with many memorable teaching experiences. My first year as a teacher, I worked with a family that had just came to the country and we were able to bond through our common culture. The girl went from speaking very little english to winning an essay writing contest in a matter of months. It was such an incredible feeling and she was so proud of herself. Another time, I took kids to order tacos in spanish (for spanish class), using language in a real world setting.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to put the money towards a field trip. I go back to the taco truck time where the students could actually apply their spanish in a real world setting, and I think that something like that would be great but maybe this time in a more immersive setting. A restaurant or even a trip to a spanish speaking community where we could shop in spanish, learn to cook in spanish, and order food in spanish. I also think maybe we could use that towards supplies in my room.