Our students, families and school community benefit from the incredibly talented and dedicated teachers at our tuition-free K-5 school. We’d like to take a moment to introduce you to Mr. Juan Martinez, 4th & 5th grade teacher at Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School. Mr. Martinez joins our true multicultural community all the way from Spain and brings with him immense joy and love for teaching and learning. This is Mr. Martinez’s first year at Arco Iris–welcome to the team!
When did you know you wanted to be an educator?
The moment I started my master’s program in college. Each day that I learned and imagined myself practicing what I was studying, reassured me that what I chose to study is my professional calling. I have looked forward to becoming a teacher since I had the opportunity to become one, I have not considered any other profession.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
My favorite teacher, the one who I remember fondly, and with great admiration, was my second grade teacher (when I was seven years old). She was an extremely empathetic and caring person who truly cared about the students' wellbeing every day. She was a fundamental pillar in the classroom for all students in the entire class. She made us feel like we could count on her at any time, and at the same time we also felt that she truly cared about us, and it was evident that working with children was her passion. She was a fan of storytelling and she knew perfectly how to motivate us in each class. I remember that school year was filled with happiness from the beginning of the day to the end of the day because we always had a great time, and she made us feel safe. She will always be an example for me to follow.
How does the Arco Iris' mission and vision align with your personal values?
The essential values in my personal life, which I also share with Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School, are practiced and strengthened daily both inside and outside the classroom. This school is a standout elementary school when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, I would add respect, responsibility, and solidarity which is shared among the entire educational community to include students, families, colleagues, and all of the different teams that make up our school.
What do you love most about your role at Arco Iris?
What I love most about my role here, my ability to successfully achieve my role as an educator to a group of twenty five students. I have a wonderful group of students that motivate me every day to continue working and enjoying this profession. It is a very important part of my life, which I enjoy very much, to be able to teach my students, care deeply for my students, play along with my students, learn from students; as well as motivating and fostering understanding while being responsible for them.
What else would you like us to know about you?
Allow me to share with you that I arrived from Spain seven months ago with enthusiasm, fearful, yet hopeful. I am immensely grateful for the great opportunity that the United States, the state of Oregon, Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School and my students have given me, allowing me to grow professionally and personally while enjoying this amazing experience in every way possible.
We are so lucky to have you, Mr. Martinez! Learn more about our school and all of our great teachers and administrators at our close-knit and engaged tuition-free K-5 Spanish immersion school by perusing our blog. Ready to sign up? Enrollment for Fall 2023 is open now.
About Arco Iris
Arco Iris Spanish Immersion is a small tuition-free public charter school providing a rich, immersive Spanish language experience and robust academics in a true multicultural setting. Centrally located off 217, between SW Portland and Tigard, we serve K-5 students in the greater Beaverton area to become bilingual and biliterate leaders of the future. Come see why we’ve earned the title Oregon’s #1 charter school. We’re enrolling for Fall 2023-24.