Love of the Language, Family Inspire Spanish Teacher

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

For 26 years, Richard Vasquez has been an educator, including eight at TTU K-12. He currently teaches Spanish 2, but he has also taught Spanish 1 and Spanish 3. It is his love of the language and a legacy that keeps him motivated to teach the next generations of Spanish speakers.

“I always have had a love for the language,” Vasquez explained. ‘My grandmother and father were from Mexico. Teaching the language helps me keep their memory and legacy alive. I came to TTU K-12 to share this passion for Spanish with students and to help them achieve their goals.”

Vasquez says the most rewarding part of being an educator is the relationships one builds with their students.

“Seeing them succeed in their classes and helping them accomplish their goals is a wonderful feeling,” he said. “Teaching for TTU K-12 is a great experience. I feel that this helps me reach and influence young people even more than a traditional brick-and-mortar school does.”

But Vasquez believes the most challenging part of teaching online is communication.

“As an online instructor, I strive for clear and timely communication with my students. Providing them with instruction and feedback is more important than ever in an online course,” he said. “I offer virtual office hours three times a week to help overcome this challenge. Seeing my students online during my virtual office hours and talking to them one on one is always a pleasure.”

His teaching philosophy is that learning is a lifelong process; students not only need to learn in the classroom but throughout life.

“As a Spanish teacher, I believe that there is not a better place to learn a language than in real-life situations. Take the knowledge from the class and practice,” Vasquez advises. “I always tell my students that Spanish is everywhere. Opportunities abound for speaking Spanish no matter the career choice. I tell students to never stop learning, always ask questions and to take advantage of the help that teachers offer.”