Simply Senorita

To most of Westwood High School, the Spanish teacher was called Senorita C, but to us, her Spanish 5 Honors Class, she was simply "Senorita". She was not only our teacher, she was also our friend, and sometimes she was even somewhat of a crazy grandmother. She turned Spanish 5 Honors into more than just a class that I, and seven other girls, took our senior year; Senorita made us into a family.

Senorita had been in the Westwood School System for over thirty years, but she was never jaded or outdated like some of the other older teachers in the school. Despite her age, she had a zest for life that was reflected in everything she did. She was always so charismatic, and her energy was contagious.

Unlike other Spanish teachers that we had in previous years, Senorita really gave us the freedom to learn and appreciate the language and culture of Spain. Instead of bogging us down with the monotony of verb conjugation, she handed out works of literature, had us sit in a circle, and asked us probing questions about what we were reading. She let us lead the discussions, and gave us the freedom to branch off into other topics. As long as we were speaking in Spanish, she didn't mind.

On one particular day, as we sat discussing Don Quixote, one of my classmates commented on how the bright yellow walls of the room were giving her a headache. Senorita agreed with us that the yellow was way too bright. One of my classmates, half-joking, suggested that we paint the room. Senorita loved the idea. For the rest of that week, instead of studying Spanish, we painted our classroom. Even though the room belonged to the school and was used for other classes, Senorita made us feel like it was truly ours. After painting the whole room white, one of the more artistic girls in the class painted a caricature of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, in homage to the book we were reading. As a finishing touch, next to the picture we wrote "Spanish 5 Honors, 1996".

Senorita made us feel like a family instead of just another high school class. During the Christmas season, she went all-out decorating her room with holiday paraphernalia. She had ornaments hanging from the ceiling and lights strung up everywhere. She also set up a fake fireplace in the corner of the room. Hanging from it were eight stockings, each one labeled with the "Spanish" name that each of my class members went by. Right before winter break, our class had a big party, and she let us take home our stockings, with the thought that Santa could visit us at home. Even though I am Jewish, I still cherish my "Estefania" stocking.

On the last day of class, Senorita took the eight of us out to dinner at a Spanish restaurant. It was the perfect way to cap off such a wonderful year with her. At dinner, we presented her with a photo-collage of our class, including pictures from parties we had, and field trips we had taken. Senorita hung up the collage in her classroom, where, along with our wall-painting, she will have a constant reminder of our class.

Although it would be nice to think that my Spanish 5 class was the only one which held a special place in Senorita's heart, that is not the case. In fact, Senorita treats all her Spanish 5 students like they are her family. Every Christmas, her Spanish 5 class gets personal stockings, and at the end of each year, she takes that class out to dinner. What is so wonderful about Senorita is that she made my class feel like we were her absolute favorite. I think it is very important for teachers to forge personal connections with their students, and Senorita does this with ease every year. She is a remarkable teacher in every way.

-- Stefanie Reisfeld, American University