By Annie Myers
For senior Vanessa Pennington, Spanish teacher Edith Paredes’ classroom is important not only for its subject, but for the woman teaching. Pennington says, “She’s probably my favorite teacher I’ve had in my entire life.”
Senior Vanessa Pennington finds motivation in the hilarious atmosphere of Spanish teacher Edith Paredes’s room
To her, Paredes balances respect and the comfort of a good laugh
Listed in the course guide, Spanish is just a description of language topics and prerequisites. But for senior Vanessa Pennington, it is much more. According to Pennington, Spanish teacher Edith Paredes has made a positive impact on her life, making Paredes’ classroom her favorite place at Mill Valley.
Pennington said the room is her favorite is because of Paredes’s teaching style, which balances learning and classwork with an enjoyable environment.
“She’s funny,” Pennington said. “A lot of it’s kind of the fact that she’s able to laugh at herself and she doesn’t speak that great of English, so it’s fun to laugh at that. She takes jokes from us and she’ll put her own spin on them.”
Paredes has taught at Mill Valley since it opened, and has noticed a variety of students who appreciate the class based on her sense of humor.
“I think it is because it is a very welcoming atmosphere,” Paredes said. “Sometimes I’m a performer in class, so I try to keep it entertaining for [students]. At the same time, they can learn things.”
Pennington says that Paredes’s jokes make the class worthwhile and her positive attitude sets her apart from other teachers.
“I can be having a terrible day,” Pennington said, “and the second I step foot in her room, I know that it’s going to be full of excitement and fun. She’s gonna make me laugh.”
To Paredes, a good relationship is important. After moving to the United States from Paraguay 13 years ago, she made positive reinforcement and laughter a priority in her classroom.
“I think in South America, everything is more somber,” Paredes said. “It’s like the authority is [gestures] up here, and the students are down there. I think here, I was able to find a balance. Students respect me for who I am, but they also know that they’re here for a treat. We’re gonna laugh and, you know, sometimes I ‘dab,’ or I tell a joke or I share things about my own life. [That] makes me more human than just an authority figure.”
In a positive learning environment, students feel more comfortable and motivated, according to Pennington.
“Honestly, without special relationships,” Pennington said, “I wouldn’t want to come to school. The classes where I don’t have a good relationship, I don’t want to go to.”
Paredes agrees that this connection between teacher and student goes beyond learning foreign language concepts.
“I think it’s important for students to know that I’m a human being, that I’m not Mrs. Perfect who never makes mistakes. If I make a mistake, it’s OK for them to make a mistake.”