After six years without instructing, former assistant principal Terri Ulberg takes on the job of teaching Spanish once again.

Ulberg first began her teaching career in 1991.  Her sister motivated her to take on the job after Ulberg helped her with college entrance exams.

“She said that the way I helped her made her understand things better than she had understood them before,” Ulberg said. “And I had never thought about being a teacher, so after she said that I was wanting to change jobs at the time because I was previously a child abuse investigator and I didn’t want to do that anymore.”

For Ulberg, teaching Spanish seems fun because this way she interacts with students more than she did when she as an assistant principal.

“Language is my favorite thing. When I’m teaching Spanish I don’t feel like I’m working- I feel like I’m playing,” Ulberg said. “I’m so excited I can’t believe they’re letting me do this. I just can’t believe it.”

In addition to Spanish, she previously taught English as a Second Language, or ESL, for 14 years.

“To me, teaching ESL is the same as teaching Spanish. I just go in the other direction. And it’s also very fun and very exciting. We don’t have as many ESL classes so we don’t need as many ESL teachers. Right now we have Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Guia who are teaching it and they’re doing a great job.”

Ulberg said she misses the people she got to work with as an assistant principal.

“I got to work closely with Mrs. McCollum and Mrs. Bauter and the ladies in the office. They are very sweet ladies and they are hard-working people. I miss them a lot but I don’t miss the paperwork.”

She enjoys the wide-open space the classroom provides compared to the office she occupied at the former campus just a few years ago.

“The office I had at the old school was about 8×8 feet; it was a closet,” Ulberg said. “My husband built me a small desk to fit in it and these fake windows so it would feel like an office with more space. Up here of course we have the brand new building. You can’t beat the beautiful classrooms and offices we have in the new building.”

Ulberg’s teaching style differs from the typical Spanish teacher. She instructs the students by singing songs and repeating phrases over and over again orally.

“I’ve learned a lot more things. She makes it easier to learn because she has good teaching methods,” sophomore Monique De La Paz said, referring to Ulberg’s oral repetitions.

Former Spanish teacher Mary Alice Perez resigned after experiencing health problems. And although Ulberg misses her as well, she’s glad Perez is getting the help she needs. Regardless, Ulberg is excited about getting to work in the classroom again. And so far, students have adjusted effectively to the new mentor.

“The students in my classes have been so fun to work with that it’s really made my new job a very happy job for me to do,” Ulberg said.