Most people have to go to work, sit in an office, think serious thoughts and deal with other adults. I speak Spanish and play soccer all day! I am the envy of all my friends in Mexico. The key to teaching Spanish is to make it live and personal. It has to be more than memorizing vocabulary and conjugating verbs. My job as a Spanish teacher is not to teach students what to think or memorize but how to use the language in a spontaneous way.

Students need to be able to interact, ask questions, observe and use the language in a natural way. It is vital for the classroom to be a safe environment for children to practice and use the language without being judged or ridiculed. At the core of my teaching philosophy is the firm belief that each and every child who walks into my room can and should be successful in learning how to speak another language.

I’ve been teaching Spanish and coaching soccer since 1997. Though originally from Cuernavaca, Mexico. I moved here from Minnesota. I have three kids enrolled at Tampa Prep, they love every minute they spend in school and I enjoy coming to work every day.

• Mr. Carreño is the Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach