OBHS Welcomes Ms. Alvarado

Oyster Bay High School

By Mikah Covelli
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​     The 2017-2018 school year represents an exciting, fresh start for many at Oyster Bay; not only have a new wave of seventh graders commenced their junior high journey, but new teaching staff have also arrived at OBHS, eager to impart their knowledge to a new student body. 
     Included in this group of unfamiliar faculty is Ms. Jenny Alvarado, a high school Spanish teacher hailing from Hempstead, NY. Ms. Alvarado attended Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York before moving on to Molloy College, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Adolescent Education in Spanish, and a Masters degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or TESOL. 

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     Over the course of her six-year career, Ms. Alvarado has educated students both at home and abroad, teaching at Port Washington and Freeport schools, and in the Central American nation of El Salvador. Most recently, Ms. Alvarado held a two-year stint at a school in North Carolina before returning to Long Island to teach in Oyster Bay. 
    In addition to her teaching expertise, Ms. Alvarado has worked in the health industry as a massage therapist, an occupation which not only put her through college, but also taught her how to appropriately receive and respond to feedback, enabling her to truly “check-in” with her students.
     Ms. Alvarado explained that the primary reason she chose to work at OBHS was the atmosphere of the school. According to her, Oyster Bay’s feel was “homey” and “personalized,” creating an environment that “felt right” for her. 
     The short time Ms. Alvarado has spent at Oyster Bay has already had a beneficial impact on her teaching. When asked how she is measuring up to the school’s rigorous courses and high expectations, Ms. Alvarado replied, “I’m already being challenged!” indicating that she is growing as an educator overall. 
Ms. Alvarado describes her teaching style as one with a relaxed, laid-back vibe. She states that her goal is to make her students feel “at home” and “comfortable to succeed.” In Ms. Alvarado’s eyes, a personalized student-teacher relationship is key to attaining success in the classroom. 
     When she is not spending her time educating her students as to the wonders of foreign language, Ms. Alvarado bonds with her two bilingual daughters and enjoys her “first loves”: painting and dancing to Latin music.
     We at OBHS have welcomed Ms. Alvarado with open arms, and we wish her well as she continues her teaching journey!