Hispanic Heritage Profile: Gloria Prieto Lakewood Elementary Dual Language teacher who celebrates her Spanish roots
Speaking multiple languages has always been a part of the life of the bilingual teacher Gloria Prieto-Puentes. She grew up in Spain and spoke Castilian (Spanish) and Catalan with her family at home.
“The fact that we spoke two languages at home, with such different cultures even within Spain, opened me up on our family visits to the regions of Castile and Catalonia,” said Prieto-Puentes. “We read books in both languages, ate different types of food, learned different aspects of the culture.”
Prieto-Puentes enjoyed growing up in Barcelona, a port city with many visitors. “We were able to meet people from all over the world,” she says. “My family and I loved strolling down the Ramblas and seeing the people coming off the big ships.”
Prieto-Puentes is now a bilingual second grade teacher at Lakewood Elementary. Your classroom is very diverse with students whose heritage goes back to countries like Denmark, Brazil, China, Ecuador, El Salvador and more. Having grown up in a multilingual environment, she understands how many of her students feel when they first arrive in Dallas that they are from a different culture and speak a different language.
She loves helping her students get used to Dallas life while celebrating and staying connected to her heritage at the same time. One way to keep in touch with their Spanish roots is to organize events with Spanish friends to honor their culture and share it with others, including students.
Prieto-Puentes understands the value of the community and is closely connected with their bilingual counterparts in the district, sharing resources, planning cultural events and helping new teachers.
“My legacy is always with me,” she said. “I love sharing stories from my city, my family, my old school, my culture, and I also love listening to other people’s stories.”
And regarding the Month of Hispanic Heritage, Prieto-Puentes shared an invitation. “We all speak Spanish, but the culture of the countries where Spanish is spoken is so diverse that we invite non-Hispanics to visit, read, taste and take a look at what we have to offer : Literature, history, food, celebrations … you will have so much fun! “
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