The beginning of a semester is a fresh start for not only the students, but for new Spanish teacher, Diana Good, as well. Although she is new to CHS, she has had many years of experience as a teacher. Starting this semester, Good will be teaching four periods of Spanish 1.

Good taught Spanish for 13 years in Illinois at Alleman High School in Rock Island, which is a college preparatory high school, and BlackHawk College in Moline, Illinois, where she served as an adjunct instructor for a few summers. Prior to working as a teacher, Good graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Secondary Education, as well as a degree in Speech Communication Disorders. She also holds a master’s degree from Western Illinois University in Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Good did not always know that she wanted to be a teacher, but she did know that she loved working with different people. She encountered one particular experience that influenced her decision to make this career choice.

“I was inspired by some children I was working with at a language acquisition preschool in Kansas. These children amazed me with their ability to speak multiple languages and switch between them easily. I decided to get serious and start taking more and more courses in Spanish, spend more time with heritage-speakers of the language, and travel more to immerse myself,” Good said.

Good first majored as a speech language pathologist until she discovered her passion for the Spanish language. Good enjoys everything about Spanish: the structure, the phonetic ease of it, and the teaching and learning about the many countries where Spanish is spoken. Good has spent a lot of time in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Peru, and has also traveled to Spain. She hopes to travel to more Spanish-speaking countries to visit and explore different locations and cultures, so she can further improve her skills and tell her experiences to students. After all of her trips, she soon realized that she wanted to become a teacher.

Good saw that CHS was looking for another Spanish teacher and heard about CHS’s excellent reputation, so she applied to be a teacher. Since Good just moved here during the summer from Minnesota, she could not apply to teach anywhere until she got her teaching credentials transferred from Minnesota to California. As soon as they were approved by the State of California in November, Good saw the advertisment for the Claremont World Language Department and applied. Since then, the faculty and staff have made her first days easier with their helpfulness and welcoming spirit.

Good is not sure what changes she will be bringing to the very dynamic World Languages Department, but is thrilled to be a part of CHS’s outstanding group of teachers. She is also impressed with the quality of students that CHS has.

“Ms. Good has a unique style of teaching. I like it because I feel like she makes it easier for me to understand Spanish,” freshman Haleigh Guerrero said.

Good is eager to experience the rest of the semester with CHS and appreciates the energy and creativity of the students she gets to work with daily. Her passion for teaching constantly inspires and challenges her to better herself in order to be the best she can be.