Sparking Future Teachers

Margie teaching the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet to 4th graders.

Margie Sofia Montoya Vásquez completed 6th grade at Marcala Bilingual School.  As a student, she was an independent thinker and perfectionist in many ways.  As her teacher, at the beginning of year, Margie and I struggled when I pushed her to think critically or become accustom to not just copying and memorizing information.  But soon, Margie excelled, especially enjoying lessons where students got to play “professor” and peer teach.

The following year, she was unable to continue at the bilingual school for financial reasons, as the school was far away and expensive at around $75 a month.  She now attends a public middle school in her village of San Jose, La Paz.  Margie is now the spark for education in her own community.  In the video below, Margie is pictured in the “classroom” she’s created where she spends time teaching other children English.  During this interview with videographer Brian Olson, Margie talks about the bilingual school and how she was able to attend.  We will soon be headed to Margie’s middle school to see how we can further support their educational efforts.  In the meantime, it is always amazing to see how the sparks travel and grow!