After earning her Ph.D. in German Languages and Literature at Yale, Spanish teacher Andrea Thompson Guiza is embarking on her KO journey. Originally from Mexico, Ms. Thompson Guiza said she wanted to return to Spanish after teaching German in her Ph.D. program.
“I really missed Spanish, and I really believe that Spanish belongs here in the United States,” Ms. Thompson Guiza said. “So it’s kind of a personal mission for me to be here helping other students, other people, learn the language, participate in the language and in the culture.”
Ms. Thompson Guiza currently teaches three sections of middle school Spanish, as well as Spanish 3 in the Upper School. She chose KO because of the school’s emphasis on both academics and its values.
“This is a really great values-driven school,” Ms. Thompson Guiza said. “I really appreciate how the school places an emphasis on intellectual curiosity and excellence on the one hand, but more so the values of what it means to be a good person in the world and an involved person in the world.”
One of her goals for the year is to have her classes spend a full month or two speaking only Spanish, in hopes of furthering their passion for the language. She hopes to do this by creating an inclusive environment in which students are free to make mistakes and grow from them.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Thompson Guiza is an avid baker, working at a bakery while in graduate school. She now continues her love for baking in meaningful ways: with friends, family, and for special occasions such as birthdays. When asked what she would do if she weren’t a Spanish teacher, she said she would probably run her own bakery.
Ms. Thompson Guiza also hopes to bring students into the wider community by creating partnerships with local institutions in West Hartford. She hopes students could exchange letters or meet Spanish speakers in the community.
While she is excited to become more involved in the school outside the classroom, Ms. Thompson Guiza said her favorite part of KO so far has been the students. “Everyone’s really, really interesting, and it’s fun to talk to all the students and hear about what their lives are like here,” she said.
As she begins her first year at KO, Ms. Thompson Guiza said she is happy to be part of the community. “Everybody’s been so welcoming,” she said, “so it’s very, very nice.”
