Diana Torres

Diana Torres brings a joyful, culturally rich, and experiential approach to her role as Spanish teacher at Virginia Chance School. With a bachelor’s degree in Social Communication and Journalism with an emphasis in Organizational Communication and Marketing, Diana brings a strong background in storytelling, media, photography, and audiovisual production to her work with students. Her communications background gives her Spanish classroom a creative, project-based energy where language becomes a tool for connection, expression, and cultural understanding.

 

Diana has four years of experience teaching Spanish in Michigan across five schools, working with students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Most recently, she taught Middle and High School Spanish at Holy Spirit School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she served more than 80 students. In that role, she supported students not only in their language development, but also through the important developmental stages of adolescence, recognizing each student as an individual with unique needs, strengths, and ways of learning.

 

Her teaching experience includes designing engaging, playful, and culturally rich Spanish lessons that help students connect language with empathy, global awareness, and real-world understanding. She has led advanced Spanish students through applied projects that brought language into classroom and daily-life experiences, and she supported two students in preparing for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam, both of whom passed successfully.

 

Diana’s path to education began through motherhood. When her daughter, Juana María, was born, she became deeply committed to helping her grow in both Spanish and English. After moving to the United States when her daughter was eight months old, Diana intentionally taught her Spanish at home while she attended an English-speaking preschool. That experience gave her a personal understanding of language learning, bilingual development, and the importance of helping children feel confident as they communicate across cultures.

 

Later, when she returned to Colombia, Diana worked at the Catholic Franciscan school she had attended as a child. There, she began her first official teaching experience by creating elective classes for 10th and 11th grade students in journalism, photography, radio production, and storytelling. Working with students reminded her of the tenderness, imagination, and limitless possibility children bring to the world — qualities that continue to inspire her as an educator.

 

In the classroom, Diana creates a welcoming space where every child feels seen, valued, and safe. She brings warmth, joy, and deep care to her teaching, helping students understand that learning a language is not just about vocabulary or grammar, but about connection, courage, culture, and self-expression. She wants students to feel confident, curious, and proud of who they are as they learn to communicate in Spanish.

 

Progressive education aligns closely with Diana’s own experience as a learner and teacher. Growing up in Colombia, she remembers school units that ended with creative projects — paintings, dances, songs, performances, and presentations. Those experiences shaped her belief that learning becomes unforgettable when children apply knowledge through creativity, exploration, and meaningful work. As an adult learning English, she also experienced firsthand how immersion, hands-on learning, and real-world practice build confidence and lasting understanding.

 

Inquiry-based learning is central to her Spanish classroom. With her older students, Diana has helped students explore Spanish through food, music, geography, traditions, and cultural differences across Latin America. Each project became a way for students to “travel” to a new country without leaving the classroom. Through inquiry, students develop curiosity, creativity, persistence, communication skills, and higher-order thinking. They learn that their questions matter, their ideas have value, and language can open doors to a wider world.

 

Outdoor learning is also meaningful to Diana. Growing up in Colombia, she experienced a culture where many classes, meetings, and activities happened outside. She has carried that love of nature into her teaching by inviting students outdoors to play, sing, paint, move, and learn Spanish through joyful, active experiences. She believes nature helps children focus, feel calm, connect learning to real life, and experience language with creativity and freedom.

 

Diana was drawn to Virginia Chance School because of its progressive philosophy, outdoor campus, and commitment to experiential learning. As she learned more about Chance, she felt an immediate connection to a school that values warmth, creativity, curiosity, and purposeful growth. Chance’s approach reflects the kind of learning environment she believes helps children thrive.

 

Outside of school, Diana enjoys playing tennis, swimming, listening to music, and spending time with her family. Serving the community is one of her greatest passions. She has volunteered with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, United Way of West Alabama, and the Tuscaloosa Latino Coalition as an interpreter, event host, and content creator. She also runs a strategic communications and marketing business, developing audiovisual projects for clients in Michigan and Alabama with the support of an editing team in Colombia.

 

Diana is joyful, creative, and deeply proud of her culture. Sharing Spanish with children is one of the great joys of her life, and she is excited to bring that joy, creativity, and global perspective to the Chance community.