Claudia Sanhueza

"Magic Happens in This Room!"

Lower School Spanish teacher Claudia Sanhueza considers the profession of teaching to be a gift. "It's a huge way of doing service," she says. "You get to touch so many lives."

That touch is a deft blend of creativity, passion and academic rigor — not unlike Claudia, herself.

Born in Santiago, Chile, Claudia also lived in England and New York City. She studied theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, got her bachelor's degree at American University in Washington, DC, and a master's from St. Mary's in Minnesota. Along the way, she had various jobs in both New York and Santiago, including Spanish tutor and textbook and CD-ROM consultant. She never envisioned a career in the classroom (or a move to Minnesota) until she fell in love — both with teaching and her former husband, a Minnesotan — during a stint teaching dance to impoverished youth in Santiago.

She's now in her fourteenth year at Breck, and Claudia says she feels blessed to be a part of this community. "I have such amazing opportunities to be creative," she says. "The curriculum is child-centered, academically challenging and integrated with other studies. I have wonderful support from the administration and my colleagues. Breck's commitment to multicultural education and professional development for faculty are such gifts. But mostly it's the children. It's because of them that true magic happens in this classroom."

Lower School Director Peg Bailey describes Claudia as "a most effective, inspirational teacher. She is passionate, creative, knowledgeable, dynamic and fully engaged with students. Watching her with children — and seeing how much she can pack into a single lesson – one can't help but be in awe."

Claudia is also passionate about her family. Son Nicholas and daughter Chloe are both athletic, musical and fluent in Spanish. "I am incredibly honored to be their mommy," Claudia says. Away from Breck, she also enjoys running, attending her children's sporting events, teaching Sunday School and doing any kind of "family stuff."

She's also a firm believer that teachers should always be students, and she is grateful that professional development funds from Breck helped her complete her master's degree and take a trip to Macchu Picchu in Peru. "It is so important to keep expanding and growing," she says. "There is so much to learn about kids and the craft of teaching."

In Claudia's classroom, that craft can be seen in many forms. "Each student is a canvas," she observes, "and I can't wait to see what they'll paint each day. They're magnificent — more than they realize — and I am blessed to be a part of their lives."