Rebecca James, a first-year teacher here at Jacksonville High School, enjoys introducing a new culture to her Spanish I and III students. Most importantly, she strives to challenge her students to reach their full potential by using their own resources and knowledge. As a student of Ms. James, you might often hear the phrase, “No soy un diccionario” frequently, which translates to, “I am not a dictionary.” James encourages her students to value the importance of knowing and understanding the language of Spanish. In order to accomplish this mission, James inspires her students to look up words they have questions about so that they become familiar with them.
During her own years as a high school student, James was especially motivated by two of her teachers as well as fellow students. These influential people helped her to pursue her teaching career. “In high school I had two amazing teachers in AP US History and Spanish. I also worked as a tutor in several subjects.” With the support of both her history teacher and Spanish teacher, James found herself conflicted between the two subjects. Ultimately, James knew that Spanish was the right subject for her and has been teaching it for three years at various schools.
As a teacher, James has been able to make many memories. “My favorite memory is when I have had students succeed in my class and use those skills outside the classroom.” James has also made many connections with both students and other teachers. However, teaching comes with its lows as well. James shares how there never seems to be enough sleep with the constant grading that must be done.
Some fun facts about Rebecca James are having been a teacher at several other schools, JHS is the biggest out of the bunch. James has also traveled internationally to the country of Italy. One day, James hopes to visit Spain.