Kristen Roy, one of the Spanish teachers at Hollis Brookline High School (HBHS), has been shaping the learning of students for years on end. For almost 30 years, she has been developing her teaching style to accommodate learning needs for students. 

Sra. Roy is a very outgoing, kind person who enjoys what she does. She values relationships with students: “I desire a strong connection with people, and I also have a glass-half-full attitude, and children will often have glass-half-full attitudes,” said Roy. She can use her own joy and energy and give it back to her students as she is building a connection with them. This connection is one of the most important parts in Sra. Roy’s teaching, which allows for a stronger outcome in student participation and confidence.

Spanish class at HBHS is not like any other typical class. You will not usually see Sra. Roy standing at the front of the class teaching a lesson, but you will see her walking around, monitoring the students, and giving individual lessons to students. “I walk around and teach the lesson that the curious student wishes,” Roy begins, “a lesson is really an engaged activity that promotes curiosity and question building.” 

Roy’s goal is to meet every student’s needs, no matter what their learning level may be. There are activities in the plans for every day that meet the needs of every student, with the most important one at the top, and reinforcement assignments listed below for students who have the time. Another important factor in her teaching is how assignments are graded. All of the daily assignments are graded based on the student’s process, rather than whether the Spanish is correct or not, lessening the worry about grades, which allows students to focus more on the development of their Spanish language.

Sra. is constantly encouraging students to embrace their mistakes. Telling them that what they did was a “great mistake” allows them to understand that they are going in the right direction. The most important part to her is the process. “I don’t care about the answer. I care about the process. So mistakes are often made because their process was good, but they missed a part in the process. If they tweak a part of the process, the accuracy will improve,” said Roy. Having students understand the importance of the process encourages better Spanish learning.

Roy is easily able to readjust her work to meet the needs of her students. From her many years of experience, she can tell when changes need to be made. “All I have to do is walk around; if the majority are not engaged in it, there is something wrong with it. Usually, their faces tell me, and then I readjust,” said Roy. Her ability to be flexible in the classroom is beneficial for students to be able to learn the Spanish language. 

There are many challenges found throughout teaching the Spanish language, but to Sra. Roy, it is not the Spanish itself that brings difficulty. “The Spanish isn’t hard; it’s learning to meet the kids where they are at the start of the year, getting them to know me, getting me to know them, and getting the students to understand that even though this class is open notebook, what does it mean to be a student in this class?” said Roy. 

The many years of teaching that Roy has experienced have given her the tools to be able to create relationships with students, allowing for a successful school year.

Sra. Roy makes a difference in many students’ lives, accommodating her teaching to every student’s needs. Her high energy and positive attitude leave a very unique impact on everybody at HBHS.