As we close in on the end of the first marking period of the 2020-2021 school year, it is important to get to know some of the teachers at Wayne Hills. Language teacher Fernanda Saborido told the Patriot Press staff a little about herself.

Saborido attended Montclair State University to earn her Bachelor Degree in both French and Spanish. After earning her BA, Saborido then went to Rutgers University in hopes of getting her Masters Degree. 

When asked if she always wanted to be a language teacher, Saborido replied, “I decided that I wanted to be a language teacher after graduating from high school. I fell in love with languages and the ability to connect with other people in their native language while backpacking through Europe the summer after high school.” 

After earning her MA at Rutgers University, Saborido got her first job teaching. In 1999 Saborido joined the WHHS teaching staff and has been at WHHS ever since. Throughout the years, Saborido has taught many of the Spanish and French classes. Saborido’s 20 years of teaching has helped her understand the importance of learning foreign languages.

“Knowing another language is a great connection to other cultures; it promotes tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others. I love to help my students feel confident and strong, and I want to help them fall in love with the French and Spanish language and culture like I did,” Saborido explains. 

Teaching at Wayne Hills is not the only thing that Saborido does. She is also one of the Student Council advisors at Hills. 

For those who are thinking of becoming a teacher, Saborido suggests that, “Great teachers have a love for their subject, have high expectations, instill confidence, and use different teaching strategies. Also if you like working with kids and want to make a difference, then teaching is the right job for you.”

“After having Saborido as a teacher in french for two years, I know that Saborido works hard to teach every single one of her students. It is also really noticeable that she has excellent preparation and organization skills, which is something that I admire about her as a teacher,” says Sophomore Talia Blakeslee.