Dana Swartz, Lone Peak

“Señora Swartz is the hardest working, most caring teacher. Her passion for Spanish has incited a love of language and culture in thousands of students throughout her years at Lone Peak. Señora’s students know they are loved, but also know how to work hard and be honest. I have learned so much from Señora over the past three years. She taught me to have integrity, to not give up, and to be a friend to everyone. When she contracted COVID-19 earlier in the year Señora continued to post videos and lessons daily from her house, even when she was obviously not feeling well. Every Spanish period is filled with fun, laughter, and learning. From her funny Spanish stories acted in out in front of the class to her highly anticipated fiestas Señora has mastered how to teach Spanish in a fun and engaging way. Señora balances challenging tests with fun activities. One memorable activity is Valentines Day in her Spanish 1 class. Every year Señora surprises her Spanish one classes with a “dating show” which is a fun game that ends with two students going on a romantic date to the vending machines. Another high light of Señora’s class is the music. As a way to mix it up every few periods her classes will stand and sing songs in Spanish. These vary from Disney Songs to Jennifer Lopez songs, during tests Señora sits in the front of the classroom and sings and plays the guitar as a way to calm her students nerves. Señora’s fun lessons and activities do not come without a lot of work on her part. She spends many late nights at Lone Peak working on her lessons and creating additional resources for students that are struggling. Her daily routine includes coming early to school, teaching all day, working with students after school, going home to teach guitar lessons, then coming back to school to continue working on her lesson plans. As a result of this Señora’s students are some of the most consistently proficient students in the school, most speaking above their level. She is a teacher that students frequently come back to see well beyond graduation. I have seen many former students come excitedly into her room to share big milestones in their lives. She is a teacher that leaves a lasting impact. Señora has taught me so much, I still remember her first words to my class the first day of Spanish one three years ago. She told us that even if we learned nothing else from her class she wanted us to learn integrity because it was a skill that would help for the rest of our lives. I have learned the importance of integrity but I have also learned so much more. I am grateful for Señora Swartz.”

Submitted by: Amelia

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