Interview with Don Salvador Fernández Tapia-Ruano
Teacher Salvador, Professor of the Department of English and Head of Early Childhood and Primary Education Studies, has given us the tremendous pleasure of granting us an interview for an Audiovisual Culture activity, within the Artistic Baccalaureate.
I hope you enjoy getting to know our wonderful teachers a little more.
"It's never too late to learn"
1-Rocío: How many years have you been teaching at Colegio Alborán?
Savior: In this school year 2015/2016 I have been fifteen years old and I hope to continue many more in this wonderful school. (Smile).
2-Rocío: Do you prefer to teach in Primary or Secondary?
Savior: I have given classes at all stages and I like them all, because they are interesting and each one enriches you. When I arrived, I started working in Secondary and Baccalaureate and now I work in Primary. I have also worked in Children. I am very happy and comfortable in all the courses and I have to tell you that you learn from everyone.
3-Rocío: In what other center have you taught?
Savior: I have worked before in other centers, one of them a subsidized school in Coín, I was here for about 3 years. (Think) I also taught at the Popular University, where classes such as Music, Painting, Languages are taught...
4-Rocío: Among the experiences lived outside the center with your students, which one would you highlight?
Savior: There are so many positive experiences, both inside and outside the center… So suddenly I don't know which one to highlight. All are worth mentioning, perhaps I would highlight the trips organized through the Department of Cultural Activities of the Center. They are cultural and at the same time playful. I would highlight the trip to London, which was very educational for everyone and I felt like a fish in water.
5-Rocío: Do you think it is important to travel, in general, to learn and practice a language?
Savior: (He nods in agreement) I think it is essential to be able to use the language that is being learned. The same happens in the case of English, it is an obligation to travel to any English-speaking country to be able to practice. Thus, in addition to reinforcing what we learn at school, more everyday and colloquial English is practiced.
6-Rocío: What advice would you give to young people who are pursuing a dream abroad?
Savior: I would tell them that if they really pursue a dream, and are clear about what they are looking for and want to do in life, to go after it and not let it escape. Of course, you have to take advantage of the time and work with a lot of effort. Nothing in life comes alone, everything requires perseverance.
7-Rocío: Do you think English is as important as society thinks of us today?
Savior: It is increasingly important to know and know other languages, it is essential to be trained in many areas of knowledge and languages are becoming increasingly important in our globalized society. Studying a language opens our minds and makes it easier for us to learn another language. In the case of English, its importance derives from the fact that it is today the universal language. At present, French, German and Chinese are being highly valued.
8-Rocío: Tell us one of the anecdotes that you have experienced in our School.
Savior: (Laughs, remembering) Anecdotes! Yes, there are some, in fifteen years… imagine, on a personal level, for example, one day I came to work in such a hurry that I had a different shoe than another and I had to go home again to change.
9-Rocío: Tell us about the relationship between teachers in Alborán.
Savior: We are a very cohesive group, we form a pineapple. A pineapple like the one you (addressing me kindly) have made for the school canteen. I have a very good relationship with each and every one of my colleagues and I mean everyone, the kitchen staff, maintenance staff and non-teaching staff in general. The atmosphere in our center is very good, we get along very well and we support each other. We help each other in everything we can.
10-Rocío: What did you most enjoy studying your career?
Savior: I studied Philosophy and Letters with a specialty in English Philology in a fantastic environment. We started at the San Agustín University of Philosophy and it was wonderful, it was a beautiful old building in the center of Malaga. There I met a number of very interesting young people, people who played in music groups, some who were starting to write or taking their first steps in the world of painting, all this impacted me and enriched me. Later on we were transferred to Teatinos. I loved studying the university degree I decided on, I enjoyed all the subjects and also the environment. I am very happy to have been able to study what I wanted, because I am passionate about teaching and dedicating myself to what I have studied is very satisfying.
11-Rocío: We know that you love to participate in Projects, why?
Savior: It is essential that students work on projects, it is a more social and dynamic methodology, according to our times. It is necessary to work as a team and in a cooperative way, so that the students are the ones who plan and who are the protagonists of their learning. We see that it gives them greater confidence and security.
12-Rocío: Finally, do you think it is important to pursue a goal?
Savior: Yes of course. It's Never too late to learn. I am always chasing an illusion and I believe that today it is the engine that guides you and that we should never lose. Our motivations vary and depend in part on how we cultivate them. You always have to have an illusion for everything, also in our day to day, to work and study.
You always have to have something to fight for and that is worth it. I have it.
