Juan Carlos Pulido has been working as a Spanish teacher at Abington Friends School for 4 years, but has been teaching for 8 years. Throughout his years at AFS, he has brought compassion and energy inside and outside his classrooms, no matter the day. He has never failed to make someone’s day better by bringing energy to the classroom.
How has being born in Colombia influenced the way you teach in the Spanish classroom?
It’s influenced the way I teach by shaping my personality because being a part of the culture or any Hispanic culture means being loud and proud. I often yell in classrooms to keep the spaces energetic, and much of that energy comes from being part of the Hispanic community.
Do you try to bring Hispanic culture to the classroom? If so, why and how?
Yes, I do. For me, teaching a language isn’t only about the grammar but also about the culture. I think it’s important for students to learn how people in different cultures or countries act, think, and speak, not just the rules of the language. To do this, I show videos and we talk about cultural practices in many of my classrooms.
For example, this past month, we have focused a lot on Puerto Rico because of everything that has been happening around the Super Bowl. In my honors classes, we watched videos about how Puerto Ricans celebrate Christmas and how their celebrations continue through Three Kings Day and almost to the end of January. My students were surprised, especially when they realized kids there don’t go back until January 3.
What is something you’ve grown to appreciate while working here?
I’ve grown to appreciate how much students and faculty value diversity. I like working with people from many different backgrounds, like Hispanics, Asians, Jewish community members, and others. Even though there aren’t many members of the Hispanic community here, I enjoy teaching and talking with the ones we have, as with people from all cultures.
What do you hope students learn about Spanish culture beyond the language?
Beyond the classroom, I hope that students appreciate where they come from. If they are Hispanic, I want them to feel proud of their background. If they’re not Hispanic, I want them to learn how people live in different countries and understand the different perspectives of people.
I hope they realize that learning a language and its culture helps people see that we’re all different, and that every person adds something different to the school because everyone’s unique in their own ways. Understand that even if you speak the same language, for example, Puerto Ricans vs. Dominicans, you’re still not the same because you come from different places, and coming together with all these differences is beautiful.
olivia • Apr 27, 2026 at 10:08 pm
I really enjoyed having Juan Carlos as my Spanish teacher in Freshman year. During a time when I was getting accustomed to high school, going through rough patches and such, I felt that Juan Carlos’s energy and willingness to support his class were unmatched, and they helped me feel a little bit better about things. This is what was said in the article, and I totally agree with it! I’m glad that he was interviewed, because this gave me more insight into how he feels about teaching and his motivations. I respect his goal of including everyone in the learning process of Hispanic culture and customs, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. The questions for the interview were good as well!