¿No sabes hablar español? Mattie Wallace, one of the two Spanish teachers at EPG, plays a key part in students learning the major language. Mrs. Wallace teaches Spanish 2, 3, and 4. She is well known for her energetic approach to teaching. “I knew I always wanted to be a teacher, I didn’t know what [subject] until I got to high school. It was either math or Spanish, and I decided teaching Spanish would be more fun,” Mrs. Wallace remarked. She has been teaching for over 11 years and, along the way, has learned a thing or two about the profession. “Kids have evolved, so I’ve learned I need to evolve with them.” Mrs. Wallace enjoys all kinds of sports, but particularly college ones. Mrs. Wallace is a huge fan of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. She enjoys walking and being outside with her family in her free time. When reminiscing about her high school days, Mrs. Wallace brought up, “I took myself too seriously and let things bother me that, in the grand scheme of life, don’t matter at all.”
One thing stands true, every teacher has pet peeves, no secret there. Standing by the door before the bell and talking during announcements are a few things to avoid around Mrs. Wallace. “I want to be remembered for high standards and encouraging kids–letting them know that they can meet those standards, that they can exceed expectations,” Mrs. Wallace stated. Despite her very large Spanish vocabulary, she likes one word over the rest. “I love this word in English and Spanish, which is bubble–burbuja. I don’t know why, but I do love that word.” When asked about her dream vacation, she described it as follows: “I would go to Boston with my family, go to a baseball game, and see all the historic places.” When asked about her favorite student, in which she may or may not have been told what to say, Mrs. Wallace shared, “I love teaching Jasper Wenger because he brings humor to class every day.” You can find Mrs. Wallace in room 35 doing what she enjoys most, teaching Spanish.