The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese held a photo contest recently to showcase some of the creative ways teachers around the country are making their classrooms shine during the pandemic. The AATSP announced its 11 winners in recent weeks, a short list that included Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus Spanish teacher Savannah Wood.

A photo of Wood’s classroom was the second winner to be announced in the contest, which drew educator competitors from all over the country.

The entries were judged on how “pandemic friendly” the classroom set-up was, its depiction of Spanish and Portuguese culture and a statement from each teacher explaining their décor. Wood shared a personal accounting of her colorful classroom set-up:

"I am Mexican-American myself, and I decided to paint a mural depicting a colorful “centro” of any popular Hispanic city. I also have traditional papel picado hanging from the ceiling, a clock decorated like a flower with Spanish phrases to assist in learning time, and a sombrero mounted on my wall!”

A photograph of Wood’s classroom, and those of the other 10 winners, are exhibited on the AATSP’s social media channels and newsletter.

The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) promotes the study and teaching of the Spanish and Portuguese languages and their corresponding Hispanic, Luso-Brazilian and other related literatures and cultures at all levels of education.