Maestra Vanessa's Website

Bienvenidos!  Welcome!

  I am so happy to welcome you to 2nd grade in El Velero!  This is my 14th year at Ordway and it's my home away from home.  Prior to joining El Velero I was a Special Education teacher in the District.  I love teaching! I love building relationships with my students and guiding them on a path of learning that is both enjoyable and fulfilling. 

 Teaching in and of itself is the best, but teaching in Spanish is even better! I've always loved speaking Spanish and being able to make connections with people from all over the world. I was first exposed to Spanish as a listener growing up in Los Angeles. During my middle school years, my father traveled back and forth from Mexico for work and  I would accompany him absorbing as much of the language and culture as I could. In college, I pursued a degree in Spanish Language and Literature and studied abroad in Costa Rica.  Through Spanish language immersion in Costa Rica, my Spanish skills really took off.  I knew that I was a truly fluent speaker when I started dreaming in Spanish. 

 In addition to teaching in Spanish, my passions include actively enjoying the outdoors with my friends and family and traveling.  My husband and I have two teenagers, one at Colorado School of Mines and one at BHS. They both share a love of reading, scuba diving, running, playing sports, mountain biking, backpacking, and traveling. In addition to traveling within the U.S. and Canada, they've been very fortunate to travel to Costa Rica two times and recently took their first trip to Spain. 

 Degrees and Certifications:

University of Utah, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature

CUNY School of Law, Juris Doctorate

Los Angeles Teaching Fellow

Loyola Marymount University, Master's of Special Education

Professional Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education

Professional Teaching Certificate in Special Education

2020 BISD Strong Award Recipient