Adiós, Señora Berg

Adiós, Señora Berg

Growth and new opportunities are exciting, yet they can leave a hole in the heart of what you outgrow. Señora Berg, a former student at North High School, now becomes a former North Spanish Teacher after 8 memorable years. As a versatile educator teaching classes from Spanish 1 to Spanish 3, and a forward-thinking leader who helped to create North’s accelerated Spanish program, Mrs. Berg has most definitely left her mark on this school. In her leaving, it is a good time to appreciate and reflect on her time at Valley Stream North. 

Mrs. Berg grew up in an environment that shaped her into the understanding and caring teacher she is today. Being the eldest of 4 siblings and around 20 cousins, she was a natural with kids. In fact, she never expected to teach high school at all, but she rather had her mind set on teaching elementary level children. Her career path altered while taking Spanish classes in high school. Mrs. Berg reminisces about these times stating, “In high school, I fell in love with language.”

Because teaching Spanish was not as popular of an option in elementary schools, her college education veered more towards middle and high school, subsequently leading to new experiences during her schooling such as her “life-changing” trip to Spain. Living in a small town with a new family where everyone solely spoke Spanish for an entire college semester may seem nerve-wracking, but Señora Berg rose to the challenge. She ended up loving her time there and believes it helped her to develop as a Spanish speaker and person, even going as far as to say she “would highly recommend studying abroad to anybody, even if [they’re] not pursuing a language,” purely because of the exposure to new cultures and people it offers. Once finishing the necessary schooling, Mrs. Berg became a teacher at a secondary school outside of the VSCHS District, and from there is where her career really took off. Prior to teaching Spanish at North for eight years, she taught at Memorial Junior High School for six years and two other schools for two years, making this 2024-2025 school year her 17th year teaching.

While a majority of that time was spent at VSN, it was certainly not her first experience with the school. Mrs. Berg attended North in seventh grade, eventually making her way back to the environment she feels is welcoming and unique. Based on her experiences as a student, and later as a teacher, Señora Berg concludes that “every school has its own culture … shaped by different administrators, colleagues, and students,” furthering this point by bringing up North’s large age range. In North’s hallways, you may pass a 12-year-old tween in seventh grade one second, and a legal 18-year-old senior the next. This school’s diversity is better put into perspective when one also takes into account that students and teachers come from so many backgrounds, ethnicities, home-lives, and even different countries at times. All these unique people come together to create a one-of-a-kind community.  All these unique people come together to create Valley Stream North High School, a school with the ability to form a lasting impact.

Another unforgettable experience from Mrs. Berg’s time at VSN besides its atmosphere was the COVID-19 pandemic. Covid was a notable point in everyone's career, student, and teacher alike. Yes, society has, for the most part, resumed as normal since the start of the pandemic over four years ago; however, Mrs. Berg recalls this time, stating, "[I] evolved a lot as a teacher, especially during Covid, because it forced me to figure out ways to differentiate and present information in different ways … [and] embrace technology...I think that that's changed me...permanently." After spending such a large portion of her teaching career at this school through a time that changed the way we learn during and following the COVID-19 pandemic as well as learning and becoming a part of North’s complex yet open community, it’s hard to leave. 

Señora Berg perfectly summarizes her transition to her new job as “bittersweet.” She is, of course, looking forward to the path that lies ahead of her in her new position as a language chairperson in a new district, as well as the opportunities this position brings professionally. Now that she has more of an administrative position rather than her former role as a classroom teacher, Mrs. Berg is eager to take control, stating, “I’m excited … [to] help shape the language department, encourage teachers, share what I’ve learned, and share what I know.” While this is all very exciting, there is much to miss. Mrs. Berg could never forget all of the friends she has met and students she’s met during her time working here, but she has proven that she will do extraordinarily wherever she is through the impact she has made during her time at North. For example, her support for the new accelerated program implemented at the start of the last school year demonstrates her dedication and willingness to take initiative. She says that when approached about the new idea, she “volunteered to basically spearhead that program [accelerated Spanish].” Her efforts are clear to even her students.

Maxximus Estrada, for example, a tenth grader at North who had Mrs. Berg for Spanish 2.3 last year, notes “she made that Spanish class easier for me even though there was a lot of information within the course.” He also mentions her “innovation and creativity” with her use of her sticker system in which students who receive high test grades get a sticker on their test that they can collect and trade in for rewards such as a homework pass, extra credit points, or something more fun like Jibbitz for their Crocs. This kind of carefully crafted system makes it clear that Mrs. Berg keeps her students in mind, and she encourages them in their academic and personal lives. Liliana Ossa, another North student who had Mrs. Berg for Spanish 3, says “I will miss Señora Berg a lot because she was one of the best Spanish teachers at North! … [She] has made me feel more comfortable with Spanish as a language and helped me feel proud of my [Hispanic] heritage.” After getting a Spanish award at the end of ninth grade, Liliana says she was “overjoyed and continued to work even harder in her class and this year of Spanish,” showing that involved teachers like Mrs. Berg make a difference. She is even remembered by students who have already graduated, such as Marcos Aziz who graduated 2021, who said “Even though I already knew Spanish going into her class, Mrs. Berg helped me to further my knowledge and my formal Spanish.” Breeana Bernabe, a student who had Mrs. Berg for Spanish 1 in eighth grade after transferring schools, recalls “She's good at teaching especially because I was new to Spanish class.” Between Marcos’ and Breeana’s testaments, it is evident that Señora Berg is a flexible and versatile teacher who can adapt to teach at all levels.

Outside of these amazing qualities and more, one of Mrs. Berg’s best characteristics is that she truly cares for her students. When asked about her legacy at North, she responded, “I know that not everyone loves language, but I hope that I've made it enjoyable.” Mrs. Berg’s tenacity, adaptability, and big heart are what made her a memorable teacher, and what will help her to become a great leader. She will be missed, but there is no doubt that she will excel in her new position. Adiós Señora Berg, we’ll miss you.