Elisa Rivera
Elisa Rivera’s teaching preparation was not the traditional teacher’s route. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature and Economics from the University of Arizona in 1996. She then decided to head back for a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching degree in 2000. After she began her teaching career, she knew she’d found her passion – a combination of Spanish/Cultural Diversity and teenagers. So she headed back to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Bilingual and Multicultural Education in 2009 from Northern Arizona University.
Ms. Rivera was the first Spanish teacher ever hired at Cienega High School just before it opened in July 2001. She enjoyed helping to shape not only the Foreign Language curriculum for Vail’s first comprehensive high school, but also the opportunity to help shape the culture of the new school. She has been happily teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 for the past fifteen years. Ms. Rivera understands that Foreign Language, like all courses, should never be a one size fits all course. She consistently incorporates different techniques to reach all students with different learning styles. But, every single class incorporates the opportunity for every single student to participate without being made to feel anxious or “put on the spot.” Ms. Rivera’s favorite part of teaching Spanish is teaching the cultural components where students can focus not just on vocabulary, but rather on the songs, dances, and people of different cultures. To Ms. Rivera, Foreign Language is not simply learning a new language; it is learning about and loving different cultures of the world.
When Ms. Rivera is not busy teaching class, she will likely be found working with her many extracurricular clubs and activities including Folklorico Club, National Honor Society, Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach, Assistant Softball Coach, and Latino Culture Club. She is also the sponsor for the many high school education trips abroad where students can receive a first-hand education of different cultures including taking kids to Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Ms. Rivera is also consistently found running for charity events. She began her charity runs in 2012 and has run in various 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons. She is truly a role model not only for her students, but her colleagues as well.
