CH4 Feature Teacher

Left to right: Ms. Ana Sanchez & Ms. KC


This month’s Featured Teacher is Ms. Ana Sanchez from our location on Spring Farm Road. Picking a teacher for the Feature Teacher blog post at any of our schools can be difficult, but this month Ms. KC, the Director at our Spring Farm Road location, had a particularly tough time. She finally decided on Ms. Ana, one of her most dedicated, trustworthy, hardworking, and appreciative teachers. Ms. KC described Ms. Ana as an “extremely reliable, and versatile” member of her team. Since her original job working with classes in a variety of age groups, to assisting at the front desk, to being the Summer Camp Supervisor, Ms. Ana has been a part of so much at Country Home. After spending an afternoon with Ms. Ana, it is obvious that she is much more than a staff member; she is part of a spirit that makes Country Home Learning Center such a special and unique place.
When I sat down with Ms. KC and Ms. Laura, the Assistant Director, they immediately described Ms. Ana as their “Wal-Mart greeter for the morning.” Each morning, Ms. Ana sits at the front office welcoming each family as they enter the school during the early hours. Children who have never had her as a teacher gravitate toward her for one of Ms. Ana’s special hugs as they arrive at Country Home. She is appreciated by everyone who enters our doors.
Ms. Ana was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and after living all over the world — including Germany, Washington, and South Carolina — she finally decided to call San Antonio her home in 1980. Raising 5 children and watching them all attend college is one of Ms. Ana’s proudest accomplishments. She instilled the value of education in her own children, and she strives every day to do the same for all of the children at Country Home who she insists are “like [her] own kids.”
Before coming to Country Home, Ms. Ana operated her own day care in Washington. Spending time around children has always been her passion, and Ms. Ana describes working with children as “a blessing.” She looks forward going to bed every night, because she knows that when she wakes up the next morning she gets to come to Country Home. The children, parents, and staff at Country Home are Ms. Ana’s “family,” and she explains how she trusts all of them, knows that they trust her as well.
Placing a high value on education, Ms. Ana knows the importance of encouraging fundamental learning at an early age. She insists on speaking to all of her children in both Spanish and English, and she works daily on different types of mental, physical, and emotional development. After working for Country Home for 20 years, Ms. Ana knows all of the ins and outs of working with children. When she is asked about what keeps her motivated after all of this time at Country Home, she says, “When you have a passion for teaching, you never get tired of it.” This is one of the many reasons why Ms. Ana is one of our Spring Farm location’s most requested teachers by our parents! Parents never want their child to outgrow her class, and parents of younger students request her months in advance!
When Ms. Ana is not teaching, she is traveling to her home in Puerto Rico, teaching children at her church on the weekend, volunteering at an abused women’s shelter, or spending time with her large family! Ms. Ana is truly an amazing asset to Country Home Learning Center, and we hope that every person reading this lives their life by Ms. Ana’s inspirational motto – “Every day is a blessing!”