Aracelly Nguyen is a Spanish teacher. Having experience teaching younger students has helped her transition into a different perspective on teaching high school students. A lover of pasta, she enjoys the simplicity of crafting the dish. While she enjoys spending quality time with her daughters, she is also fond of her alone time.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What are your past teaching experiences?
This is the start of my third year in the Brookline district. [During] my first two years, I worked in elementary school world language.
Has anything stood out to you in the first few weeks of school?
I find that navigating through the building as a new teacher and seeing so many new faces and names is something that’s been difficult, but I love how people always say hi. They’re always willing to help me and give me a lot of support.
What were some highlights of your summer?
This summer I went to my home country, Nicaragua. I spent most of my time there with my grandmothers, spending time with family. I brought my two daughters there; it’s a good way to practice their Spanish and we just had lots of family activities.
What do you like to do when you’re not at school?
I like to spend time with my girls; I have a seven-year-old and a three-year-old. We like to go for walks, take them to the park [and] go for ice cream. Taking my girls to extracurriculars after school, like ballet or sports, are some of the things I enjoy the most. I love my weekends on Saturdays because we go out to eat breakfast.
What’s something interesting that you remember from your time in high school?
I remember a specific teacher, she was always checking on me. Not only in academics or content, but always saying hi and asking me how I was doing, and that meant a lot to me because I felt seen and felt like somebody was caring. I’ll always remember her as someone very special that made me feel loved and warm in high school.
Do you think your students view you in the same way you viewed your favorite teacher?
I try my best to always show them that I care, check in with them to see how they’re doing, how they’re feeling, trying to be understanding that things come up and that I’m here to support them. I want my students to feel like I’m here to help, to guide them, to support them and to enjoy the content. I want my students to see me as someone who is transmitting knowledge and content but at the same time, someone making them feel comfortable.
Is there something that you aspire for your students?
I just want my students to challenge themselves in Spanish. When they come ask difficult questions, to always be curious, to go that extra mile in class, to take risks and always show what they know.
