New Spanish teacher transitions from middle to high school

The transition from middle school to high school is regularly made by incoming freshmen, but this year, Spanish teacher Andrew Narva has made the switch as well.

Narva taught at Redwood last year and the year before that he taught at South Valley Middle School. This is Narva’s third year of full-time teaching.

Through just his first week of teaching at the high school level this year, Narva had already noticed some differences between the high school and middle school students.

“So far [the high school kids] are much bigger, and they’re mature in the sense that I don’t really have to explain what I expect,” Narva said. “When I tell the high school students to do something, I only have to tell them once while with middle school students, they have to be told multiple times.”

Narva started his career as an English as a second language teacher, but when he was offered the opportunity to instruct Spanish elective classes he “jumped at the offer.”

According to language department head Arnaldo Rodriguex, the school needed another Spanish teacher because the Spanish program was expected to grow by about 50 students this year. Of the five applicants, Narva was chosen in part because he taught a Spanish class at Redwood last year and therefore has a connection with some of the students here, said Rodriguex.

Narva will be teaching two Spanish 2 classes and two Spanish 1 classes this year. Narva hopes to emphasize culture and loves to teach students about cultural holidays. Narva also said that the activities he does in the class may seem somewhat elementary but are necessary to help students learn first and second level high school.

Narva’s believes that confidence and motivation are essential students learning.

“Many people are intimidated by learning a new language,” Narva said. “If a student is motivated to learn a new language, they will. If a student feels confident enough to practice speaking this new language in class, they will quickly feel confident speaking this language out of class.”

Narva says that it has been nice seeing familiar faces from Redwood and that he feels excited to be a part of the language department.

Narva attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose and received his teaching credential from UC Santa Cruz.

For hobbies Narva said that he really likes to do outdoor activities like skateboarding and surfing. However, he joked that he’s “grown too old” for the both of them.