One of the greatest experiences of my professional career was working in Colorado, United States, after being selected by the Visiting Teachers Program of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Teaching at a bilingual International Baccalaureate school greatly enriched my teaching practice and provided me with countless professional satisfactions, as well as valuable personal growth.
During those years, I also had the privilege of participating in the pioneering implementation of a Dual Immersion program, which for the first time was developed at the middle school level. This educational model, based on bilingualism and cultural pluralism, recognizes multilingualism and multiculturalism as valuable resources within the school and the community.
I witnessed how teaching in two languages fosters high levels of academic achievement, strengthens bilingualism and biliteracy, and promotes inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive learning environments. In addition, together with my students, I had the opportunity to collaborate with organizations that promote solidarity, such as the Rotary Club of Summit County’s Interact and the SOS Outreach project, participating in initiatives that fostered empathy, cooperation, and social commitment.
Seeing my students grow into open-minded, compassionate, culturally competent young people, prepared to thrive in an interconnected world, was one of the greatest rewards of this stage of my career.
