Spanish teacher Josef Sallen was born and raised in Lee Country, the Southernmost part of Iowa, where he could see the Mississippi river from his front porch.
In High school, Sallen knew he wanted to be a teacher from the get go. He had made lots of positive interactions with his English and Spanish teachers. Sallen’s Spanish teacher was like a mentor figure to him. He wanted to make connections with his students the way his Spanish teacher did with him.
Finding out he wanted to be a teacher wasn’t the only thing Sallen was up to in High School, he was also in a band. The band needed a bass guitarist so he stepped in and learned how to play the bass. The band played at bars and even weddings, Sallen said it was a good source of income.
“[playing the guitar] goes all the way back to high school,” said Sallen
Now in class Sallen plays guitar for his students, even though he considers himself to be at the ‘campfire’ level, he still plays chords and sings songs.
After High School, Sallen spent his college years at Truman State University located in Kirksville, Missouri.
While attending Truman State University, he had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica during the summer. While he was there he got to celebrate his 18th birthday.
“Having fun while having it be a learning experience,” said Sallen, “Living your life leads to language gains, and you don’t feel as limited.”
Sallen described learning to speak Spanish similar to blowing up a balloon. At first, the balloon is small and difficult to blow up, but when you begin, it is easier and immediately expands. Before Sallen went to Costa Rica, he was just starting to blow up the balloon. Sallen didn’t feel one hundred percent comfortable interacting with people in Spanish. However, after returning from Costa Rica he felt a lot more confident about engaging in conversations, which he compares to the balloon being fully expanded.
“It was a pivotal moment, going to Costa Rica was the biggest [change],” said Sallen.
When Sallen was in high school he learned the basics of spanish. He believes that his Spanish classes in high school set him best up to be able to read. So that’s what he did, he started with reading. He read a book in Spanish that he had already read in English. So it was fresh in his mind of what was going on in the book. However, Sallen really started to acquire Spanish through interacting with people who speak the Spanish language. Sallen then said that when you live your life to the fullest, it leads to language development, making you feel less limited.
“None of the words mean anything until you make them mean something,” said Sallen.
Sallen has been teaching Spanish for a total of eleven years, with three of those years spent at Southeast Polk. Sallen enjoys the connections he is able to make with his students in the classroom. He connects what they do in the classroom to real-life experiences outside of the classroom. For instance, if he’s wearing a Costa Rica soccer jersey, it’s likely that their lesson will focus on Costa Rica or soccer.
“It’s like a beating heart,” said Sallen.
Making the connection with students is electrifying to him.
“I just feel lit up with energy,” said Sallen.
Sallen cares for his students and is glad to be a part of their high school journey. He believes that being able to find joy in other people’s joy is a very important thing in life.
“The students are what I come here for,” said Sallen.
While Sallen isn’t at school teaching, he and his wife have recently taken an interest in the Nintendo Switch. They play cooperative games together like “It takes two,” which revolves heavily around two characters that use teamwork and collaboration to fix something that has gone completely wrong. Sallen and his wife also enjoy traveling together.
“It’s tough to say, but my favorite was getting to go to Guanajuato, Mexico,” said Sallen.
Guanajuato is in the middle of Mexico, pretty close to Mexico City, and it is widely known for being the birthplace of the country’s independence.
During his first week in Guanajuato, Sallen spent most of his time sightseeing in the city, which is known for being very walkable.
“This felt like it was really special and uniquely Mexican,” said Sallen.
Sallen initially learned Guanajuato as a tourist, but over the next three weeks by taking classes and exploring more, he became increasingly comfortable there and began to feel more like a local.
The Seal of Biliteracy is granted to students who have studied and accomplished proficiency in two or more languages.
“Since coming to Southeast Polk, the [Spanish] program has been directing students for the seal of biliteracy,” said Sallen.
The Seal of Biliteracy is something Sallens students have impressed him with. In order to obtain it you have to get a five on a test. Even if students don’t receive a five,
“Just because you didn’t earn it, doesn’t mean you failed it,” said Sallen.
Sallen is proud of his students no matter what. They continue to surprise him everyday with all they have learned.
Overall, Sallen brings energy to class everyday, and makes sure to find joy in everything, while doing an outstanding job teaching his students.
