I’m Elva. I am a retired Spanish teacher. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a Master’s of Education degree. My first language is Spanish. I was educated in Mexico, the US and Spain. When I first came to this country, I was inspired by the kindness and patience of my teachers. At a young age, I decided that I wanted to be just like my first teachers and teach with the same perseverance, joy and compassion.

After over 30 years of teaching I decided to retire from full time teaching but I want to continue to inspire students to learn as a part time Wyzant tutor. The last school I taught at was an International Baccalaureate School located in southern California. At this unique high school, I prepared young people to communicate and succeed in a globalizing world. In Florida, I was the only Spanish teacher onsite responsible for teaching Spanish to Kindergarten through fifth grade. In Nicaragua, I was a volunteer teacher who instructed the children of active Nicaraguan soldiers during the Contra War. I taught English and Math to children ages 5 to16 under very stressful conditions of war but succeeded in creating a supportive safe space for these Nicaraguan children to learn. I have taught beginning to advance Spanish language including advanced Spanish literature and culture.

I am excited to share my years of teaching experience with students of all ages who want to learn or improve their Spanish skills. I love to use music, humor, games and real life scenarios in my lessons. I am trained and comfortable using various teaching approaches including communicative language teaching, and TPRS or Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling. I will customize my methods to the learning needs and desires of each student. My hours are flexible, (since I’m retired) and I will respond quickly to your messages. I look forward to meeting with you and scheduling a lesson.