Ambassador Teacher Spotlight: Mariela

Each year, hundreds of international educators choose the Participate Learning Ambassador Teacher program to teach in the U.S. from Costa Rica and other countries around the world, gaining valuable global teaching experience along the way.

From the moment they apply, these teachers begin a life-changing journey to share their culture, inspire students, and grow as global leaders through our cultural exchange program. Their presence helps students broaden their worldviews, develop empathy, and see learning through a global lens.

In this interview, we speak with one of our experienced Ambassador Teachers about what it’s really like to teach abroad, build community, and thrive in U.S. classrooms.

Mariela Q. is a three-time former Ambassador Teacher with Participate Learning. Originally from Costa Rica, she has 21 years of classroom experience and most recently taught in Raleigh, North Carolina. We chatted with Mariela about teaching in the U.S., learning about new cultures, and where her teaching inspiration comes from.

Teaching in the U.S.

Eleven years of teaching in the U.S. over three separate exchanges has taught me to be open to new ideas, and to be flexible. In particular, my students have taught me about their own customs and also shown me new levels of good behavior and creativity in the classroom.

My favorite thing about teaching here is how innovative it can be – the use of technology in the classroom, plus different methodologies and a variety of resources.

Learning a new culture

I think the biggest difference between home and the U.S. is that here everything is very structured, and in my experience, students have extremely good behavior. In Costa Rica, students are more talkative and we are not as structured in the classroom.

As well as learning U.S. customs myself, I like for my students to learn as much as possible about Costa Rican culture, and especially its food!

That said, living in the South, I’ve discovered many new and tasty flavors. I used to think that American cuisine was just fast food! I also really enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving.

Classroom achievements

My mother had a strong influence on my decision to become an educator. She was my role model, and I could see how passionate she was about teaching. So I’m extremely proud of both earning my Master’s degree, and being successful in the classroom. I really enjoy what I do, and don’t see myself ever wanting to do anything different.

One of my personal highlights comes from when I was teaching first grade and saw students reading and speaking Spanish. It was amazing and inspiring to see how confident and natural they were in a foreign language at such a young age.

Learn more about teaching in the U.S. and how to apply to teach with Participate Learning for the upcoming school year.

Originally published May 7, 2019