Written By: Lila Nunez, Staff Writer
NAVARRO: A teacher who has taught every Spanish class ever made.
Starting out as a Spanish tutor, Mr. Navarro is now an AP Spanish teacher here at Poly. He has been teaching here for ten years now and has taught several courses. The list includes:
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Spanish 3
- Ap Spanish Literature
- Ap Spanish Literature DLI
- ELD 1
- ELD 2
- ELD 3
He started off at Fullerton Community College where he attended for two and a half years. Then, he went to Cal State Fullerton when he got his bachelor’s degree, and years later, went back for his master’s degree and teaching credentials.
His love for teaching was born during his years at community college. He was prompted by a college to apply for a teacher’s assistant position as a bilingual instruction assistant. He worked a couple hours a day which was flexible enough for him to go to college and work a job he was passionate about.
Along with studying Spanish, this TA job made Navarro come to the realization that he might want to work with kids. Originally working in LA, he applied to work for a local middle school here in Riverside. They liked the way he interviewed and referenced him to Poly High School, where he has now been teaching for ten years. Navarro has a passion for making a difference in his students, reflecting on how impactful his teachers were. He mentioned that he feels fulfillment in watching his students grow with the material he creates. It is evident he genuinely hopes for his students to improve as the school year progresses through his hard work.
Navarro organizes the school trip to Spain every year, which is a sort of passion project of his. He loves the history of Spanish literature and enjoys touring author’s houses and museums. He retells how amazing it was to get an inside look into what Spaniard’s life is like. He is from Mexico and also enjoys visiting his home city, trying to go as often as possible.
In his free time, he likes to play video games and guitar although it is hard to keep up when being a teacher. In addition, he finds bliss in going on walks and hikes with his family. He also enjoys places that have unique scenery.
When asked what he would be if he was not a teacher, he shared that he would have been a doctor. His original plan was to become a doctor but life, thankfully, took him to a different path and Navarro is now one of the best Spanish teacher here at Poly!