Spanish and Mandarin Chinese Teacher at Catonsville High School in Baltimore, MD
Keyword: Study Abroad in Peru, Peruvian Indigenous Identity and Experiences, Culinary Arts Resources
My name is Lloyd B. Martin III, I am a high school Spanish and Mandarin Chinese teacher at Catonsville High School in Baltimore County, Maryland. I have been teaching for five years. I have taught in middle school for three years and will be starting my second year at high school this fall! I am a certified educator in World Language, but also in Social Studies for Baltimore County.
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I did not plan on becoming an educator growing up or during my time in college. I originally hoped to work for the government or the State Department. While a student at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park I worked as a substitute teacher during the winter breaks between semesters. I subbed as an elementary, middle school, and high school teacher in Baltimore County. This was my first classroom experience, which later inspired me to pursue a teaching career upon graduating from UMD in 2020.
I graduated college with a major in Chinese and government, and a minor in Spanish. I originally learned Spanish outside of the classroom environment. I did landscape work for multiple summers upon graduating high school. My first Spanish teachers were my coworkers and Duolingo. After seeing the importance of communicating in Spanish at work, I decided to further my education of the language in college. This past August (2023), I completed my Master’s program: Master’s in Teaching at the Notre Dame of Maryland University.
When I saw the application for the Fulbright-Hays opportunity, I felt a need to apply to become a better educator for my students. I have traveled outside the country before, but I have not spent 6 weeks in a Spanish-speaking country truly immersed in the culture. I wanted to gain a stronger understanding of the content, culture, and language I teach in my classroom. At times, I felt my knowledge in the classroom prior to this trip was not suffieicent enough to truly benefit my students. This experience confirmed that I had much to learn as I not only reworked my understanding of the Spanish language, but also gained a greater understanding of the dances, food, architecture, indigenous communities, education, and way of life that make up the country of Peru.
The time I spent in Piura and Cusco, Peru allowed me to reevaluate what it truly means to be an educator. The communities, cities, families, and artists we met along our journey reminded me that a ‘Spanish Class’ is much more than just a language class. In the past, I would rush my students to complete curriculum checkpoints to ensure we are on track. However, this trip educated me on the importance of taking time to appreciate the individual stories that make up Latin America. Learning is a process that takes time to accomplish, it is not a race. I hope to use this experience to provide a more authentic perspective of Latin America to my students.