Our Teachers and Staff
Classes are led by fluent and proficient language teachers. Our teachers are native Spanish speakers and hold degrees in education, Masters in Applied Linguistics, DELE diplomas and Early Childhood Education Diplomas.
Diana Ruiz
Teacher
Diana Ruiz holds a Bachelor in Education from the Nacional Pedagogical University of Bogota. A Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and a...ral schools in Colombia where being a nurturing individual has been a great asset to her students. With over 18 years teaching children and adults in her home land and in Canada, Diana can adapt to various teaching situations and plans her activities to meet the needs of all her students. Her interactive lessons and educational crafts are well loved by all her students. Diana includes music and movement in her classes to better engage her students.
Stephanie Martin
Teacher
Stephanie was born in Colombia and raised in Colombia and Canada. She studied for her bachelor’s degree in bilingual education at the University of...has experience working with children from Pre-k to 6th grade. After she finished her studies she came to Canada and did an early childhood education program with Costi. She has been working with children in Canada as well and enjoys teaching her native language which is Spanish through songs and playful activities.
Fiolera Vargas
Teacher
Fiorela is from Arequipa, a city in the south of Peru. Even though she is an engineer by trade, she is a teacher by heart and a passionate viola playe...in tutoring and volunteering, teaching languages and music to children with low resources. Fiorela worked for the first Peruvian elementary school to adopt the Canadian education system as a language teacher. During this time, she worked with children ages 4 to 11 and has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Additionally, Fiorela studied Leadership and International Management in Italy as part of her journey to develop her communication skills, furthering her journey related to teaching. This experience helped her learn to communicate effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds. She has centered her career working for non-profitable organizations with goals relating to educating children, teenagers, and young adults. These experiences heavily influenced her decision to study Project Management in Canada and focus on educational projects.
Pablo Martinez
Teacher
Pablo was born in Madrid, Spain. His professional career has always been linked to the study and teaching of languages. With an exciting professional...New Zealand, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Canada and he is able to speak 6 different languages fluently (Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian). Among his extensive academic studies, Pablo holds a Master’s in business administration, 3 advanced languages certifications, and a diploma as a Spanish teacher for foreign students of all levels. Pablo’s passion for languages has always been there, and in 2018, he decided to share this passion by promoting his most valuable asset the Spanish language. After all these years abroad, learning and understanding other cultures, Pablo felt the Spanish language is his country, and his home wherever it is spoken.
Viviana Merlo
Teacher
Viviana is Argentinian, she was born in Mendoza known for its tree-lined streets, sunny climate, and Malbec wine. She studied in Argentina holding two...he has more than 20 years of experience teaching elementary, teens and adults in private colleges and institutions. Expert at developing lesson plans, creative, passionate, and enthusiastic about her work with children. Diplomatic communicator when addressing parents and children about disciplinary actions. Viviana has superior skills in bridging the gap between Spanish and English and she is committed to finding new methods and conversational techniques. She has developed activities and integrated technology to diversify instruction. While she was teaching, she taught children how to create a supportive and safe environment, she engaged students with new concepts and ideas. This encourages the child to connect with one another and develop into healthy adults. Her vision is to empower students to spark change from the inside out by cultivating awareness, resilience, and compassionate action.
Helen Fritsch
Teacher
Helen studied in Chile holding a degree in education from “Universidad Metropolitana” de Ciencias de la Educacion, Santiago de Chile. She worke...s teaching, she watched children grow and develop intellectually, guiding them as they engage with new concepts and ideas, leading them to become self-sufficient and independent learners. In Toronto, she has worked with many families and their children, teaching Spanish as a second language since 2010. She also has taught Spanish to adults. For her, the most important aspect of teaching is allowing the child to unleash their maximum potential. This encourages the child to love what they are learning in a relaxed environment. With this, the student is able to both further their knowledge of the language and become immersed in learning the Latin culture.
Lizdaribeth Torrealba
Teacher
Lizdaribeth is Venezuelan, she was born in a beautiful city called Caracas where She did all her musical, pedagogical, and philosophical studies. She...and the second one in Musical Pedagogy where She have obtained the Summa Cum Laude mention. Lizdaribeth love to teach! Professionally, She has worked with babies, children, and adults. She was music teacher in the maternal Step by Step; furthermore, She was philosophy teacher in her university (UCSAR), being teacher of threes specifically subjects: Bioethics, Aesthetic, and Philosophy of History. In Canada, Lizdaribeth worked with the Sistema as viola, violin and cello teacher in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. Currently, She lives in Ontario and she has become Zümbini’s certified instructor (Program for babies). Torrealba considers that the education is especially important in our society. She believe in an artistic education where the children can enjoy and learn through the music, dance, literature, and other arts; in fact, She has wrote an article titled: El Arte en la Educación Inicial. Lizdaribeth loves to write essays, poetry, short stories, and other literary genres in Spanish. She has published her writings in Venezuela, Spain, and Germany academic research journals. Currently, Torrealba is doing a Master’s degree in Art: Aesthetic Mention in Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador – Venezuela.
Felix Carapaica
Teacher
Born in Venezuela, Félix has also lived in the United States and is now located in Toronto, Ontario. Bilingualism (English and Spanish) has always be...ugh the Hispanic Studies Department. He will graduate with an Honour’s Bachelor Degree in French Studies and will pursue the Bachelor of Education at York University. Completely passionate about the languages he has taught in English, French, and of course Spanish. He began working in education in 2014. He was the Program Coordinator at the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club, an Assistant Supervisor at the YMCA After-school Program, and is currently working in the Salon Francophone at York University as a Language Monitor. He also completed an internship in Chambéry, France as part of the EMILE program. He taught a variety of subjects to children from the ages of 4 to 10 in both English and French.
Alexis Suarez
Alexis Suarez holds a Master of Arts in Spanish and he teaches all levels of adult classes in The Spanish Schoolhouse since 2012. Mr. Suárez also col.... He is Spaniard and had more than twenty years of experience in teaching Spanish as Second Language in different institutions like Centennial College (Toronto) and Instituto Cervantes of Manila(Philippines). Instituto Cervantes, with more than 90 centers in 43 different countries around the world, was founded by the Government of Spain to promote the teaching, use and study of the Spanish language and to contribute to the advancement of Spanish, Hispanic and Latin American cultures throughout the world. Mr. Suárez has been also a member of the Panel Examiners for D.E.L.E. (Diploma in Spanish as Foreign Language). The Diplomas DELE are official qualifications certifying the degree of competence and mastery of Spanish, granted by Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain. He had also participated in several conferences and workshops in methodologies in Spanish as Second Language in Spain.