District 86 teacher shares her Colombian culture in Joliet classroom

Jenny Cuesta Hernandez can’t say enough about Norma Gladis, the third-grade teacher in her native country of Colombia who inspired Hernandez to become her best.

“I think she did a wonderful job,” Hernandez said. “I started writing in different ways. I was really engaged by the way she was modeling classes and teaching and how she inspired others to do things. … I remember how she looked and how she dressed all the time – very formal. She used to wear skirts and high shoes. She was wonderful.”

Hernandez, who knew by high school that she wanted to teach, is now hoping to inspire her students as a fifth-grade bilingual teacher at Sator Sanchez Elementary School in Joliet. She said she came to Joliet as part of her goal of “teaching around the world.”

“And I wanted to start in the United States,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez is the fourth international teacher in Joliet Public Schools District 86. The other three are Denise Vuoto of Argentina, a bilingual English language arts teacher at Gompers Junior High; Katherine Avalos of Peru, an English as a second language resource teacher at Gompers Junior High; and Augusto Quiroz-Cardenas of Colombia, a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Sator Sanchez Elementary.

“And they’re doing an exceptional job,” said Ankhe Bradley, District 86 assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

The district hired the first three international teachers for the 2021-22 school year as a way to address the growing teacher shortage in Illinois.

The teachers are required to stay for three years and must have a bachelor’s degree, two years of teaching experience and be fluent in English. District 86 provides a full-time teaching position, supervision and mentoring.

“Phenomenal,” is how Elizabeth Greenwood, English language learners coordinator in District 86, described these four teachers.

“They have really embraced being a part of the district with us,” Greenwood said. “And they’ve been very eager to dig into the curriculum and the work alongside our instructional bilingual coaches.”

Hernandez started teaching in Colombia and has since worked with students in a variety of grades: first, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th.

When she wavered in her decision to teach in the U.S., her father encouraged her and gave her his blessing, she said.

Resources and opportunities

Hernandez moved to the Joliet area on July 27 with her husband and two children, ages 12 and 7. She said she immediately began training and started teaching in District 86 on Aug. 15.

She said students in District 86 have more options and resources than students in Colombia – especially in regard to technology – and “more opportunities in life.”

“Right now in Colombia, it’s pretty difficult for kids to grow,” Hernandez said.

Many children in Colombia have limited access to computers even in school, she said. They’re able to use computers in technology class in the computer classroom, she said.

After school, students may use computers at the local library. But even that’s difficult for students since their parents are “working all the time” and can’t take them, she said.

Classrooms in Colombia have more than 40 students, she said. In District 86, from what Hernandez sees, the average class size is 20 to 25 students.

However, Hernandez said she also sees resilience in children since the pandemic and has since realized that “kids are almost the same everywhere.” Her students at Sator Sanchez love learning the music, dances and games from Colombia, and she loves sharing them.

“I can see kids are pretty enthusiastic to have friends and to do things in a different way,” Hernandez said. “They love playing games. They love relationships and making new friends and trying to see new cultures.”