Third time’s the charm for couple Enrique Gonzalez and Maria Carriazo. They are back in Iowa for the first time since the pandemic to participate in their third Exchange Visiting Teachers from Spain program, which connects native Spanish teachers with local Iowa schools.
Along with their two young daughters, Alicia, 9, and Sara, 7, Gonzalez and Carriazo traveled from their home in Madrid, Spain, to teach Spanish at Royal Legacy Christian Academy in Waterloo. Gonzalez will be teaching a Spanish immersion program for grades 1-2 while Carriazo will be introducing kindergarten students to the language.
“For these young students, it will be their first time with the Spanish language,” Carriazo said. “I would like to teach them as much as possible about Spanish, have fun and learn from them, too.”
Through a partnership between the Iowa Department of Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain, the Exchange Visiting Teachers from Spain program offers Iowa public school districts and accredited nonpublic schools with opportunities to fill vacant Spanish and dual language positions with highly qualified teachers from Spain for a period of up to three to five years. All Spanish educators participating in the program have at least two years of teaching experience.
“The program is such a unique and enriched opportunity for both the teachers from Spain and the Iowa schools and communities that welcome them,” said Stefanie Rosenberg Wager, education program consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “The program isn’t just about filling open positions or finding a job in the U.S. It is truly an exchange of cultures, education and experiences.”
Twelve Spanish educators, including Gonzalez and Carriazo, will start in teaching positions across the state this month. Royal Legacy Christian Academy will begin classes on Aug. 26, and Gonzalez and Carriazo are looking forward to the first day.
“I’m excited to meet people, the students and other teachers,” Gonzalez said. “My goal this year is to not leave any student behind. I’m going to encourage them to learn and get excited about speaking and learning Spanish.”
Gonzalez and Carriazo were last in the exchange program in 2018 when their program was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic two years later. As a result, they are looking forward to having a more complete experience this time and sharing it with their daughters.
“We love Iowa; our heart is Iowan,” Carriazo said. “Due to COVID, we felt we didn’t get to finish our experience the last time we were in the program. This time, we want to be able to do more and show this wonderful state and way of living to our daughters.”
The couple also intends to use their experience to strengthen their own knowledge and skills, which can be used back in their classrooms in Spain.
“We expect to learn every day,” Gonzalez said. “Even though it is our third time here, we want to keep learning more about the culture and language. It is important to keep an open mind, meet new people and grow as a person. It will make us better teachers.”
In the few weeks before school officially begins, Gonzalez and Carriazo are enjoying the sights around Iowa, including the Iowa State Fair, and visiting with friends made during their previous years in the program. They are both excited for their next few years in Iowa and are looking forward to experiencing everything the state has to offer, including winter weather.
“I love the snow,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t have snow in Madrid. It is all dry. I’m waiting to play in the snow with my kids.”