The hallways at Baltimore International Academy West in the Rognel Heights community near Edmondson Village are filled with the sounds of animated students chatting in Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, or Russian. Through the school's international language immersion program, elementary school students are learning core content through the same learning methods that inspire students throughout City Schools—but in a language other than English.
A peek inside Josefa Cintron-Hernandez's third-grade classroom provides good insight into how innovative and proven teaching techniques excite young learners, especially those learning a new language. Spanish is the only language spoken in her math, science, social studies, language arts, and reading classes.
"Students love small group instruction," affirms Ms. Clinton-Hernendez. In her classroom, she's able to work with children one-on-one as they sit at different stations throughout the room based on the level of support they need or the concepts they're working on. As students move around the room, the interaction and collaboration with peers makes learning fun and engaging, and cooperative activities (often with hands-on activities or manipulatives) build a sense of community and respect.
“The students who quickly understand what we’re working on help the students who don’t,” says Ms. Cintron-Hernandez.
After learning about monosyllabic words in Spanish, students participated in small group activities designed to reinforce and recognize vocabulary, create sentences with the correct structure, 
improve phonics, and practice reading and comprehension skills. In a fun mix of science and art, students used magnets, paperclips, and paper plates to guide colors across the surface, creating unique designs. As they moved the clips with hidden magnets underneath, their artwork came to life with swirls, streaks, and unexpected patterns—"proving that learning can be both magical and messy!" says Ms. Cintron-Hernandez.
Writing is a big part of everything in Ms. Cintron-Hernenze's class. Students keep journals for many of their subjects. For example, when new math concepts are introduced, students write them in math journals. This not only reinforces the math but also integrates the lesson and the language. And their teacher is always there to support them, offering sentence starters and asking leading questions for students who need a little extra boost. "When they write, they recognize letters, words, and sounds."
“We use a lot of visuals, including pictures, videos, and expressive body language,” continues Ms. Cintron-Hernanzez. “And songs!” When the class was talking about planets, Ms. Cintron-Hernandez led them daily in a song in Spanish about planets. “When they sing, they’re looking at the pictures of planets, and they start to process the language,” she adds.
This approach to teaching and learning comes from ongoing collaboration among the school's teachers. They meet weekly to share ideas about resources and what works best for students.
Thanks to initiatives like language immersion, teachers are helping their students thrive and are opening doors to new opportunities and perspectives. These successes directly reflect the exceptional dedication and commitment of City Schools educators, who strive to provide the best support for their students every day. If you're passionate about making a difference in students' lives, we invite you to learn more about becoming part of this incredible community on our careers webpage.
