TAMPA, Fla. – This week’s A+ Teacher is dedicated to teaching children in both English and Spanish year round.

Raquel Rocha is a first grade teacher within Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Dual Language Immersion Program.

She teaches at Deer Park Elementary during the school year. During the summer, she helped kids learn at Westchase Elementary School.

Rocha says her own childhood inspired her to want to be involved in this program. She is Hispanic but grew up learning in English.

“Because my parents didn’t want us to feel like we were not getting access to education and they put education as such an important thing,” said Rocha. She went on to say, “This dual language program is so important because it gives opportunities to kids who never would have gotten it before. It connects back to who they are. It shows other kids the highlight of diversity.”

Her students learn the curriculum in both English and Spanish. She’s teaching them to be bilingual and biliterate.

“That means they are reading, writing, computation in math, doing math problem solving. They’re doing science inquiry in two languages,” said Rocha.

The students are also interacting with each other and their teachers in both languages. Rocha makes sure those interactions leave a lasting impression.

“You have to find out what’s special about each kid because if a child is going to learn from you, they have to love you. And you have to love them,” said Rocha. She went on to say, “When you’re loving them and they’re loving you and they find a love in learning and a love in accomplishment, it really changes a lot for a child. They want to learn.”

She also wants every student to know they are capable of anything they set their mind to.

“I want these kids to feel from a young age solid and confident that they can do anything,” said Rocha.