Hola (Hello)! My name is James Smith. Originally, I'm from LaGrange, a small farming town in eastern North Carolina. But I've spent the last six years all over the place, from college in Minnesota to Fulbright in the Canary Islands and Americorps in Massachusetts. While I was in school, I studied linguistics (the science of how we learn and use language) and literature, with a focus on their application in elementary literacy education. I am particularly interested in the way that picture books can help students learn how to look at and interact with the world around them in different, kinder ways.
This year, I'm studying the Spanish language and culture in preparation for a license in teaching Spanish as a second language. While I do that, I'm living and teaching English in Alcalá de Henares, a historic city in central Spain, best known as the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes (an important Spanish author). I'm excited you've chosen to come along for the ride with me, and I can't wait to share what I'm learning, seeing, and doing with all of you!
