Over the past week, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with four of North’s language teachers. This included one teacher from each of the Latin, Spanish, French and Italian departments. I asked them a series of questions to learn more about our bilingual teachers.
The first language I went to was Latin. This is taught by Mr. Isherwood who has been an educator since 2001. However, this is his first year teaching at North. When Isherwood graduated from college, he wanted to become a teacher at the college level. Unfortunately, this dream was squashed. Instead, he earned a law degree and became a lawyer. The reason why Isherwood wanted to become a professor was because of all of the brilliant teachers from elementary school up to Princeton University.
In Latin, students learn a lot more than just the language. Isherwood teaches about everyday life in Ancient Rome. This includes cultural events such as Saturnalia, a holiday celebrated by the Romans to honor the agricultural god Saturn. Along with that, people used to eat a lot of fish and a special fish sauce called garum. Garum is very similar to many current-day Asian fish sauces.
Next, I talked to Madame Jones who teaches French. She has been teaching here for about 16 years. After high school, Madame Jones went to college to study international studies to work for the UN. During this time she studied abroad in France and had a great French teacher. The love she had for France and its culture is the main reason why Madame Jones became a teacher.
In French, students learn about France’s culture and history. They also learn about all of the holidays, such as Bastille Day. This particular day, which takes place on July 14, celebrates the fall of the Bastille in Paris. It is similar to America’s 4th of July. Many other holidays and events take place, including Christmas and Easter. If you didn’t know, France is known for its pastries. Their most famous are croissants, eclairs, macarons and crepes.
Following this, I interviewed the Italian teacher, Mrs. Kostas, who has been teaching for 22 years. After she graduated from college, Kostas realized working with kids was fun. She also wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps by teaching.
In Italy, there are many different cultural events, holidays and foods. La Bafana is an important figure in Italian culture. Similar to Santa Claus, she brings gifts to children. However, instead of Christmas Eve, she comes on January 5. The reason for her coming is to celebrate the Epiphany. Another tradition is the Carnevale celebration before Ash Wednesday. In class, Mrs. Kostas has her students create masks and decorate them. Fun fact-on Christmas Eve, Italians only eat fish. Many famous dishes come from Italy. This includes pizza, pasta, tiramisu and cannolis. Also, on most Italian holidays, panettone is eaten (panettone is a sweet bread).
Last but not least, I interviewed Mrs. Piazza who teaches Spanish and French. She has been working in Middletown for about 13 years. In college, she majored in French and was an exchange student in France. However, she did not enjoy it. At this time, Mrs. Piazza was not sure if she wanted to be a teacher. However, it wasn’t long until she found her passion for teaching teenagers. In the past, Mrs. Piazza went to Mexico and stayed with a Spanish-speaking family for a little while. Although it was challenging, it was also a lot of fun.
In Mrs. Piazza’s Spanish class, students learn about Mexican and Spanish culture. For instance, in Spain, there is a Holy Week called Semana Santa. This is always the week before Easter to remember all of the events that led up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also in Spain, there is an event called Tomatina in August.
During this, someone runs through the streets and throws tomatoes. It is an annual event and almost everyone participates in it. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead on November 1 is celebrated to commemorate and honor the people who have passed away. In Spain, people mostly eat fresh seafood such as paella. The most popular foods in Mexico are taquitos, empanadas and quesadillas.
