Serena: Dual Language Educator in Maryland

Meet Serena—a dual language instructional coach, university instructor, board member, and co-founder of Dynamic Multilingual Solutions.

What's the best or most fulfilling part of teaching language for you?

As many educators will say, that light bulb moment when the student finally gets it, is like no other! For me, it’s when my students start using the language they are adding to their linguistic repertoire. You can see the trepidation, then pride in their eyes as they take the intellectual risk of trying the additional language!!! It is a privilege and joy to be a part of that moment!

Could you share an interesting, moving, or humorous anecdote featuring your language skills?

When my youngest son was three years old, I hadn’t had time to make him breakfast before taking his sibling to school, so we ran to Dunkin' Donuts after drop off. There was a Baskin-Robbins sharing the space with Dunkin' Donuts and my son asked if he could have ice cream instead. I thought about it for a minute and said, “Sure, why not?” Donuts and ice cream are both super sugary, so why not let him get ice cream once for breakfast?

The gentlemen in front of me were speaking to each other in Spanish and did not realize I also spoke Spanish. They were saying that it was terrible that I would get my child ice cream for breakfast. I looked at them and said, in Spanish, that I knew where they were coming from but both donuts and ice cream were sugary and ice cream for breakfast just once probably didn’t matter. They looked horrified and ashamed. I told them not to worry, I’d initially thought the same thing. We all ended up laughing about it.

I think all of us learned a lesson: You can’t tell by looking at someone if they can speak another language, and we all need to laugh together to get through the potentially embarrassing moments in life.

What has been your favorite memory teaching a language so far?

One of my favorite memories was teaching in a first-grade dual language classroom in 2018. There was a lot of negativity being shared in the media about immigrants and immigration because of the political views and rhetoric of the newly elected president. My students and their families heard slurs and misinformation about themselves almost daily. I felt that my role as an educator—especially a dual language educator with a diverse class of students—was to provide a positive perspective on immigration.

So, we read the book Soñadores by Yuyi Morales. It is a beautiful story of a mom and her baby immigrating to the U.S. and how she found her footing in her new country. We focused on the grit, bravery, tenacity, curiosity, and hard work that an immigrant must have to come to a country where they don´t know the language or the social or cultural norms and then learn how to survive and thrive.

I always cry reading the last few pages of the book because it is beautifully written, and all of my students can relate to it on some level. I read and re-read that book every year to students and their families because we always love the positive picture of triumph that we can spread in resistance to negative versions of immigration.

What is your favorite word or expression in another language and what does it mean?

“Suti libi da lobi” in Saramaccan, which is a reciprocal phrase that means the sweet life brings you love and love gives you the sweet life.

Complete the thought: "My #LanguageDream for the future is..."

My #LanguageDream for the future is that all children have the opportunity to learn and grow in using and valuing multiple languages!