“I love that MacDuffie allows me to be my own self. Whatever expressions I wanna use, whatever silly jokes I wanna use, whatever energy I wanna use in the classroom, are accepted here.” This is what Spanish teacher Laura Vachet said to the Magnet during an interview before she left on Friday, January 19 to work at the Belchertown Middle School. Indeed, throughout the past three and a half years, Vachet developed meaningful ties with the MacDuffie community.

Vachet taught Spanish Level I, III, and V, classes that are important to any eager Spanish student. She brought her own teaching style to influence her students both in and out of the classroom, sponsoring activities like the Spain and France trip last year to allow students to further explore the world through different perspectives.

As a dedicated advisor, she was loved by her advisees as she maintained a friendly atmosphere in every meeting.

“I have been her advisee since last year,” said Sophomore Julianna Segura, who had Vachet as Spanish teacher in seventh grade. “She’s always seemed so nice. Our advisee group really feels like a family.”

Vachet had high expectations for her students while teaching at MacDuffie. She sets clear goals for her students so they to master the necessary skills to become a successful foreign language learner.

“I make sure that I consistently teach and then test on what I say and what I taught. There is never guessing in my class.” said Vachet.

The spirit Vachet tried to instill from her very first day at MacDuffie is that she wants everyone to strive to do the best instead of being settled or lazy. Vachet also sympathizes with her students, as she is not a native speaker, but she encourages her student to feel the confidence they gained through language learning.

“The ultimate test of the language is to see whether you are confident enough to use it when it is not your language,”  said Vachet.

With the new teaching opportunity at the Belchertown Middle School, Vachet can now focus more on her family. Since the daily and holiday schedules would be the same after Vachet’s transition, she will have more time to take care of her children.