K-8 Spanish Teacher in Ypsilanti, MI
Global Tech Academy
2024-25 Fellow: Saul Gonzalez is a Spanish Teacher in Ypsilanti, MI. He loves what he does and feels it’s truly the most rewarding job a person could ask for. Teachers, literally, make a difference every day. He is a lover of Languages and also has a passion for plants and nature. In pursuing this new great adventure, he looks forward in showing his students what natural growth can do for not only nutritional based sustainment but also–be a way of healing while growing. Saul was personally introduced to this fellowship by one of my esteemed colleagues and immediately found it fascinating. It really is a perfect marriage for his classroom. He is excited for this platform and excited for this new school year to come!
Favorite Food Education Standard:
#3 – Foods and the environment are interconnected. I love teaching the idea that we don’t have to source our nutrition from a common store all the time. I love the feeling of sustaining oneself by what we personally grow. It doesn’t have to be the entire meal but being able to eat what you grow is almost therapeutic. And teaching about where things come from and how it’s all interconnected is fundamental. The ultimate goal is to grow and or consume whatever is in season and also whatever is closest to us.
A Favorite Food Memory or Recipe:
My personal favorite memory/recipe is growing my own garden and literally enjoying the fruits of my labor. I have a pergola right next to my garden and eat dinner there with my family almost daily. What I like to do is make a caprese salad of sorts with what I’m growing. I’ll pluck my tomatoes, make my daughter harvest some basil, then use what ever fruit is in season like peaches or cantaloupe for the salad. I top it off with burrata cheese and then drizzle balsamic glaze right on top of it all. It’s our summer tradition and loved by all. And, almost all of it is right there from my own garden!
What I’m Most Excited About as a New Fellow:
I work in a low-income community. Many of my students have no idea about nature and how it involves us. Everything in their eyes comes from a brick and mortar. I can’t wait for them to discover nature and ultimately have that epiphany that food is sustainable. That WE can grow it. And with that epiphany, grow, and lead a healthier life.
