Our most recent #ASpotlight interview was with Spanish Teacher, Jesus Parra. A native of Spain, Mr. Parra infuses his classes with joyful creativity and a passion for the Spanish language. Learn about Mr. Parra’s approach to teaching by reading his interview.
What was your path to teaching at Allen-Stevenson?
I'm from Spain, born and raised, and I have always wanted to be a teacher. So I started my education at the University of Seville. My major was PE, and my second major was teaching English as a second language. In the middle of the economic crisis of 2007/2008, I decided to try to become a teacher here in the U.S.
I had about two years of experience in Spain teaching PE through English as a second language — similar to what I’m doing now [with Soccer in Spanish]. It was a huge adjustment because there's a big difference between the European and U.S. education system, but I landed in the best place ever! I keep saying this is my home, and this is where I want to be. I feel everything brought me to this place.
I was tutoring students from Allen-Stevenson before I even knew the School. I had a friend who started working here, Señorita Spielberg, who I met in Seville at the same time I met my wife. So, I was tutoring these students for a while, and then in 2012 there was an opening for a part-time position at Allen-Stevenson and I got the job. After the third trimester that year, there was an opening for a full-time job. So I applied for that position. I’ve been here for about ten years now!
My first year, I was in charge of the heritage class for the boys who spoke fluently in Sixth Grade, as well as sections of fourth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade. I'm still friends with all of those boys, actually! They're out of college now, and we gather once in a while. My first year at Allen-Stevenson was a beautiful experience.
How has your approach to teaching changed over the time you've been here?
When I started, we had a textbook. I didn't particularly like the idea of being boxed into a textbook because I have a very creative mind — I had big ideas. I was using a lot of technology, integrating the smart boards we had then into lessons for Kindergarten and for upper grades creating games where the students had to get out of their seats. For the first couple of years, we used the textbook as a guide. Now, it’s been about five years since we stopped using it, and we're creating lessons that are coming from the inspiration that we get every day — in the news, the city, or things that happen to us.
That, I think, is a big change from when I started teaching to now. We’re focusing more on speaking and knowing what to say in each scenario, so it creates a good foundation for using Spanish in real-world situations. We have a lot of grammar, of course, but it's more comprehensive. If you learn grammar, but then you don’t put it into practice, where is that taking you? When I was a kid in school I learned how to do just grammar, but then I couldn’t apply what I learned to my conversations with English-speaking friends. What actually got me to use that growing foundation was my personal experience meeting people who spoke English and not Spanish and putting myself in situations where I needed [to communicate]. That's why I created Soccer in Spanish because it's taking the students within the building to be paired with a person who does not speak English [during the session] to play games and have fun. That is what you need — to be in a situation where you have to express and communicate with somebody. You are going to think about what you know and push yourself. Spanish is just like a muscle — if you train it, you put it to work, then it gets better.
How do you bring Spanish to life for your students?
Learning about a particular culture and learning another language is not something you can do by just sitting and imagining what it is — you have to bring it to life.
It’s also part of emotional learning. Using different characters [in the form of puppets] can show feelings to students, and the students can show their feelings to the puppet. The characters are a vehicle to bring the learning closer to them.
When we dress up or things like that, it helps the students understand the assignment, enjoy the class and feel happy to be with you in the lesson. I always joke that one way to know if the students are engaged is by counting how many ask to go to the bathroom. And so far in all these years, I've been very happy to say that only once in a while that happens. That is a good sign!
If there is no excitement, how can you enjoy it? How can you be part of something you don’t like? There are many ways to be a learner, and through that excitement, we can approach and reach everybody's learning needs.
What do you hope your students take away from their time with you?
Over the years, I got to see students coming back to me to tell me, “I remember this song that you taught me” or “I remember this impression that you taught me.” It's the spark for many students to continue learning Spanish outside of the School.
In fact, one of my former 8th graders who graduated six or seven years ago is one of the people I hired to coach with me in Soccer in Spanish because he became fluent in the language. He was part of my lessons in Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade.
My hope is that the boys can use those memories — those things we do on a daily basis in our lessons — and use them to help them continue progressing [in Spanish] and be good citizens.
How did the Soccer in Spanish program come about?
It came out of a very informal conversation with some parents at the School. I was coaching the JV soccer team for six years in a row, and they asked me if I could offer a soccer program after school for the younger students. And as I was finishing that conversation with that family, I thought “That’s a good idea; I might offer something — what if I offer a soccer program in Spanish?” The parents seemed very excited.
We apply what we use in the classroom to the afterschool program and use very little English for basic things only. It makes it very interesting for families because it's a progression — taking what they learned in class, outside of the classroom. We always speak in Spanish so it’s like taking your children abroad within the building.
We started small, with full classes every trimester. In 2020 (pre-COVID), we started the first-ever program to go to Spain. We had 14 families signed up — a total of 50 people coming to Spain to be part of the first-ever program like this for families in the [then] Lower School. We ultimately had to cancel the trip, but we saw that Soccer in Spanish had become a brand in the city — we have the program at a couple of schools — so we are thinking we will relaunch the trip post-COVID. Every time families hear about something like the trip to Spain, they are very excited to be a part of it.
What are some of your passions outside of teaching and do you bring them into the classroom?
Before having children, I was a big runner — I still am! I am the last faculty member who ran the New York City Marathon in 2018. I used to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon with Mr. Montero. Soccer is my other hobby. I’m the president of my Spanish team’s fan club here in New York.
I also bike to work every day from Jersey City on my beautiful road bike. I live in Jersey City, so I bike to school every day on my beautiful road bike that I get to enjoy every morning — it's my morning workout, and it gives me the energy for the day. Being able to bike instead of taking the subway feels like freedom.
And cooking! I used to cook here with the students. I have pictures of us cooking Spanish food, and I like to bring in Spanish food every time I have the chance.
In your eyes, why is language learning so important?
You never know when a situation will arise in your life where you are going to need to fit into a different culture. I come from another culture — landed in a different country with a different language and way of life. If you had asked me when I was 20 years old, I would have told you, “Nope! My hometown is Seville —not going to leave here!” But even so, I always tried to have an open mind and treat people with kindness no matter their background or culture because that’s how they deserve to be treated.
I think it’s super important to learn about other cultures, because [in learning] you can be in someone else’s shoes, so you don’t say “this is weird,” or “you speak differently.” An accent should not be something that blocks you from getting to meet somebody — there are feelings and emotions behind that accent. I think it’s important for everybody [to learn].
At Allen-Stevenson, we say there are many ways to be a boy. What does that mean to you?
To me, it means to be truly yourself, not hiding or trying to be something you are not. It means accepting any kind of person as part of this community.
Imagine that for many, many generations, people have tried to be what society expects from them. We teach our boys to be themselves and not to feel bad about it, but to feel proud about it!
