Clague Middle School Spanish teacher Lisa Bares was born and raised in Plymouth and says her interest in other people’s cultures and languages began in childhood. Her family hosted Rotary International students, and in fifth grade she took part in the French Back-to-Back Program, living with a French student in Plymouth before spending time at the student’s home in France.
Bares attended Kalamazoo College and studied abroad in Madrid. While there, she completed an internship teaching English at a high school, which led her to change her major from international business to teaching foreign language. She later earned a master’s degree in intercultural communication at the University of Denver, where her studies again took her to Madrid, Prague, and Sarajevo.
Bares began her career with Ann Arbor Public Schools in 1999 at Huron High School, where she taught Spanish levels 1 through 4 for 18 years and served as the district’s World Language Department Chair for more than five years. She then taught at Tappan Middle School for two years, followed by two years teaching fourth and fifth grade at eight elementary schools across the district: Angell, Burns Park, Pattengill, Bach, Eberwhite, Dicken, Abbot, and Lakewood. When a position opened at Clague Middle School, she contacted the principal to express her interest. She has since spent six years at Clague teaching sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade Spanish.
Bares values the variety of her work, noting that each grade level is different and rewarding in its own way. She is married, has two teenage children, and lives in Northville.
What led you to pursue a career in education?
While studying in Spain, I interned teaching English at a high school and decided to change my major from International Business to Foreign Language Teaching. I really enjoyed the classroom’s energetic environment, as opposed to sitting at a desk and doing the same thing every day.
How do you encourage struggling students who are convinced they can’t learn a second language?
I try to show students that learning a second language is like “learning how to ride a bike”. You start with training wheels; with practice, they come off, and you progress to riding on your own. There can be “wobbly” moments, but it’s all part of the learning process. At each stage, I show them where they were on the path to proficiency and then compare and show them their growth. I also reassure them that it’s important to focus on growth and not perfection!
Why did you choose to work at Clague Middle School, and are you glad you did?
When a position opened at Clague, I contacted the principal to express my interest, and I have been at Clague for the past 6 years, teaching 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade Spanish. I am so happy to be at Clague. My predecessors/colleagues taught at Clague for decades because it’s a great place to work, and I had to wait for the opportunity to transfer. I found that with my diverse background in Ann Arbor, that middle school was a perfect fit. I taught high school for 18 years, so I knew what would be expected of the 8th graders as they transitioned into going to high school, and at the same time I had just taught at the elementary school level, so I had experience working with 5th graders and how to help them move from an elementary school setting to managing/navigating six classes/day.
Describe an average workday.
I usually get to work at 7:20 and prep everything for my classes (write learning objectives on the board, make copies, set up activities, etc.) I teach my three classes, and during my planning period I usually follow up on emails or focus on grading /providing feedback to students on practices/assessments. I work through my lunch and/or help students. I leave around 3:30-3:45. Each evening, I usually work one to two hours to again grade /provide feedback to students on practices/assessments. On the weekends, I usually work five to eight hours to map out lessons, upload all materials to Schoology, and update grades in Schoology and PowerSchool.
What are your best tips for classroom management?
When I am asked this question by student teachers, I usually say, “Keep the students engaged and master transitions!” At the beginning of the course, we spend time establishing our daily routines so that the students understand the “flow” of our class. They begin with a warm-up while I take attendance, and then we go over the lesson plan for the period so they understand our goals and how they help them meet the learning objectives. This gives them a sense of what activities they can expect to do during the class period. Afterward, I usually activate their prior knowledge, teach with comprehensible input (ex: language in context, direct instruction, etc.), and then they engage in an interactive activity, usually with some sort of movement (ex: get up and speak with a partner, Gallery Walk around the classroom, etc.) If the students have too much “down time,” this usually leads to boredom and/or the tendency to goof off /lose focus. My classes are always super active!
What do you like specifically about working at Clague?
I love the diversity at Clague (and in Ann Arbor). When I first came to Clague, we were virtual (COVID years), but everyone kept telling me that what they love the most about Clague is the staff and students. When we finally got back to in-person and I could experience it, I agree 100 percent.
What’s the happiest part of your day? The happiest day of the week is on Friday when my 8th graders and I participate in ‘Baila Viernes”. We watch “Zumba” videos and follow along to the dance moves. It’s a joy to watch middle school students who can oftentimes be self-conscious just be “kids” and have fun dancing with their peers.
What do you want most for your students?
I want my students to say they learned a lot in my class and had fun learning! When you walk by my classroom, it might seem like my students are “rowdy,” but we are actually just actively learning. We sing, we dance, we move around, and converse in the target language. My goal is to get them excited about learning Spanish. That is what takes the “extra” time in planning and preparing lessons, rather than just handing out a worksheet and having students quietly and independently work at their desks. We participate in song competitions like “Locura de Marzo” (March Madness); we dance on Fridays: “Baila viernes”; the 8th graders go on a field trip to Mexicantown in Detroit to do a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood, talk to locals in the target language, and then eat at an authentic restaurant. We do movement breaks in the target language. We watch movies and discuss the cultural themes presented in the movie. We have food days where we make/try samples of traditional foods. My 6th graders are super energetic about singing the “countries song” and request it daily! These are the things the students remember more from Spanish class than the vocabulary and grammar.
How do you prevent burnout?
I exercise and pray daily.
Was there a teacher who had a particularly strong influence on your career? If so, what did you learn? I learned that the teachers who showed the most passion and excitement about what they were teaching were the ones that I learned the most from because they captured my attention and I “bought into” what they were teaching. If I don’t show that I am passionate about what I teach, it’s unrealistic to expect students to be motivated and invested in learning. I try to model this in my style of teaching. When asked the question at the staff meeting, “What do you bring to Clague Middle School?” My response was, “I bring the energy!”
How is teaching different from the way you imagined it would be?
Teaching doesn’t end when the bell rings at the end of the day!
students in Mexicantown
How has the job changed since your first year?
The biggest change from when I first started is the “distraction” of electronics. When I first started teaching, I used a chalkboard, posters, a “boom box” for audio, and a VCR for videos. (–Yes, I am dating myself!) The students came into class, and I didn’t have to compete with devices for their attention. Now they have devices to entertain them and technology to do the “thinking” for them (ex: AI).
What is your favorite meal at your favorite local restaurant?
My favorite meal is street tacos at a restaurant called “Barrio” in downtown Plymouth.
How do you spend your summers?
Since COVID, I spend my summers at my cottage on the lake and traveling! In previous summers, I was taking classes/studying abroad for my master’s program and working (curriculum development, testing out, etc.) for the district.
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