Profile: Señora Boone

Say ‘Hola’ to Spanish teacher Sheri Boone.

Boone has been teaching for 32 years, half of which have been at Oak Park High School. Last year, she took over the position of Foreign Language Department Chair when Michael Bolyog announced his retirement.

Boone currently teaches Spanish I and II. Her duties as Department Chair include checking on the other Spanish classes and ordering supplies for the department.

“Señora Boone is the sweetest teacher I’ve ever had. She [is a] caring, kind, and genuine [teacher],” junior Vikshara Dave said.

Boone’s position allows her to help implement ideas for departmental improvement. She said she  already has ideas to help Spanish I students succeed when moving on to different levels.

“I’d like to have teachers that are teaching the lower levels [to] collaborate with [teachers that are teaching] higher levels so that we make sure that the continuity is progressively smooth,” Boone said.

According to Boone, it is important that students learn information little by little and not just “cram for the grade.” By doing this, they will be able to retain information for an extended period.

“My hopes are that students don’t stress when they take Spanish, that they are as excited to take Spanish as they are woodshop,” Boone said. “When you get the big picture of the language and the culture and take your time, you do well.”

Boone also tries to incorporate fun teaching methods by using a variety of games like Quizlet Live and Kahoot to teach new information. She also has a puppet named Fernando she sometimes includes in lessons.

According to sophomore Nikhil Kalakota, Boone’s teaching style is characterized by high levels of energy and diverse methods.

“I definitely [became] more independent in the class. She taught us what we needed to know and the rest was up to us in how to work. It [helped me learn] what type of studying techniques worked best,” Kalakota said.

Boone is almost always available during seventh support period to answer questions and help students. According to sophomore Ethan Grinberg, she not only puts effort into teaching, but also into making her students feel comfortable in her classroom.

“I love her because she is a very caring person,” Grinberg said. “She genuinely cares about you and all of her students and she wants you to succeed.”