After the retirement of French teacher Christina Lumeya last year, many aspiring foreign language students wondered if they could continue their studies. The arrival of Maria Adame vanquished such thoughts, as she took on the job of teaching both French and Spanish.
?Spanish is my first language and I want to promote its culture,? Adame said. ?The French language has always been in my family; it?s an interesting language and all my sisters learned it, so I did too.?
Before coming to teach at the school, Adame lived in a wide variety of places, including her homeland Puruandiro, Michoacan, Mexico and Chicago. The dynamic changes of households were caused by her older sisters’ desires to move. Her large family consists of her parents, two brothers and seven sisters.
After graduating high school, Adame moved back to Mexico to teach English. This experience refreshed her desire to be a teacher.
?I wanted to be an ambassador for Mexico, but I saw politics wasn?t for me when I started teaching after high school,? Adame said. ?I trained teachers and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) in South Korea, tutored in Paris and taught ESL in Spain and Mexico. I?ve also taught in Chicago, Las Vegas and too many places to count in California.?
Adame attended California State University, Fresno and Regis University before beginning her professional career. The age of students she has taught ranges from kindergarten to college, but she likes teaching high school the most.
?High school students keep me on my toes,” Adame said. “They don?t stop and are very energetic and bubbly.”
Principal Jon Endicott?s decision to hire Adame was influenced by her ability to easily connect with students.
?She showed a real commitment to work with the students, and she cares for them,? Endicott explains. ?Her desire to bring the Spanish culture to the students brings cultural diversity to the school, and she also fulfilled the need for a French teacher.?
Adame?s students also notice her desire to teach and her attitude.
?Maestra Adame is different because she uses the Latino style of Spanish and she incorporates the whole class,? Austin Rurik, ’12, says. ?Sometimes she has us sing fun songs in Spanish.?
To help the students learn, Adame uses repetition by asking the students to answer five language questions at the beginning of class.
?She interacts with us a lot,? Amanda Weber, ’10, said, ?and she makes sure we know the material before we do our homework.?
In order to train the students to speak the language correctly, Adame teaches with different methods to keep them more interested.
?She uses different ideas of teaching, like she wants us to record ourselves so we can hear ourselves and change our pronunciation,? Megan Stewart, ’11, said. ?She?s nice and understanding, and she?s patient in our learning.?
In addition to teaching and studying Spanish, Adame loves to spend time with her five-year-old daughter and attend Peoples Church bible study. She also enjoys music, listening to La Buena Radio, and travel.
?My favorite place to go is Spain because it has gorgeous cites, and I love the culture and customs,? Adame said. ?It?s significant to me because it?s where my ancestors came from. If I could have any other job, I?d probably be a tour guide in Europe, specifically in Spain.?
In her passion to learn more about the Spanish language, Adame continues to take classes. She hopes to earn her doctorate degree in Spanish in order to better her teaching expertise.
