For 18 years, Dawn Spisak has shared another world with James Hart School students through her Spanish language classes. She is saying “adios” to her students and the teaching profession. In all, she’s been in front of a classroom for 35 years.
At James Hart, Spisak used games, songs and videos to enhance her teaching and keep eighth graders engaged in their introduction to the language and the cultures where Spanish is the first language.
“It’s not always easy, but I do try to make it fun,” she said. “I have them playing games and doing readings, and I even have some kids now that they text in Spanish,” which she says shows their interest and abilities in the language.
Spisak gets students after they’ve had introductory Spanish in seventh grade. By the end of the year, the Hart students have mastered the first course of Spanish and advance to Level 2 in high school.
At Homewood-Flossmoor High School at least 60% of students take two years of a foreign language. Having taken the first year’s course at James Hart, students have a foundation to build on, and Spisak knows some of her students have gone on to take Spanish all four years advancing to Spanish 5 as seniors.
“That makes me very proud,” she said.
Spisak, who grew up in Thornton, said her mom suggested she go into teaching, but she didn’t plan on being a Spanish teacher. She got a degree in business education from Eastern Illinois University in 1986 and taught business law and computers at Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana, for many years.
“After teaching high school, I thought I might want to try teaching junior high school. I came to James Hart School because of its high expectations both in school and from the community,” she said. “I began teaching technology at Hart, went back and earned a minor in Spanish from Purdue University and began my career as an eighth-grade Spanish teacher. I went back (to school) because I was so impressed by the fact that James Hart taught Spanish as a two-year course” and students could transition to H-F with high school credit.
The most trying experience of her career was teaching during the pandemic.
“I think it’s one of the most difficult teaching years I’ve ever experienced. I know how difficult it was for students to learn over a computer and teaching was also a challenge,” Spisak said.
“It’s very, very challenging because you don’t have that interaction. Here I can say turn to your partner and ask them this, this and this. You have to get their processing and their thinking going because we flip (from English to Spanish) and so you can do that in a classroom more naturally because you’re constantly saying something in Spanish. They don’t need to think about it. On the computer it’s very challenging to teach a foreign language because you don’t have that interaction,” she explained. “We all survived but I couldn’t wait to return back to school to be in the classroom teaching students again. How I missed it!”
When District 153 reopened in March 2021 after a one-year shutdown, Spisak said she volunteered to return.
Looking back on her career, Spisak said it was the right choice for her. She’s made wonderful friendships and cherished the successes of her students.
“If I could influence someone to enter the teaching field, I would say it’s a multifaceted profession. Don’t go into teaching for the money, go into teaching because you want to make a difference in someone’s life.
“Become that teacher you remember that had a positive impact in your life. Always be proud of your work and profession. I’ve learned so much in my 35 years of teaching and I wouldn’t change my career choice,” Spisak said.