At Ankeny High School (AHS) Spanish teacher Rosana Brewer encourages her students daily to step outside their comfort zone and embrace the Spanish language. However, she did not expect to be named Educator of the Year, a testament to her passion for teaching, and hard work. The award, given by the Iowa World Language Association, recognizes teachers who exemplify the best in teaching at their level and chooses one winner per year out of hundreds in the state.

The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is a state-level professional language association that works on behalf of about 1,200 world language educators in the state of Iowa. Each year they hold a conference bringing teachers together, to generate new ideas, and to help develop and sustain language programs in communities across Iowa, all to create the best learning experience for students.

“[IWLA] connects all the teachers, from across the state, and they also bring people outside the state,” Brewer explained. “It also develops the skills and resources to sustain programs that we don’t have”.

Past

Brewer was born in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, where she spent most of her youth playing soccer, going to the beach, swimming, and hanging out with her friends. Education was a priority for her, as she went to private school, and also graduated with a master’s degree from college. 

Things would change when she met her husband in Minnesota, and after getting married she would decide to immigrate to the U.S. However, Brewer had difficulty adjusting to the country due to being in an unfamiliar environment and without family and friends, but they still supported her from afar, along with her husband Joe, her son Allan, and many other people. 

“Not having my family and friends, that’s another thing that was a big impact of coming here. But the support of my family overseas, on the phone, the support of my husband, and my son, my family-in-law, meeting so many good students that make my life happy every day… that made me continue staying here for 27 and a half years” Brewer stated. 

Beginnings in education

After adjusting to the U.S. Brewer didn’t know what she wanted to do at first, but she saw teaching Spanish as a great opportunity and decided to strive to be a Spanish teacher. To reach her goal of becoming a Spanish teacher, she took college courses and got her master’s degree.

 “I found teaching Spanish to be a great opportunity and followed my heart to become a Spanish teacher. Spanish is very similar to Portuguese in structure and culture and it is the closest language to my own,” Brewer explained.

After getting a master’s degree, she managed to secure her first teaching job in West Des Moines Community School District (WDMCSD). Here, she taught for one year and found her passion in teaching, this would be the first step to her becoming Educator of the Year. 

“I taught for just one year at a junior high school [WDMCSD] and it was a great experience for me,” Brewer stated. “The best part was to meet people and I met my mentor.”

In WDMCS, she met her mentor Kerisa “Keeka” Chung Baedke, who would be a great friend who supported her throughout the years, and the person who introduced Brewer to the IWLA, which would later be the source of her recognition.

“She [Kerisa “Keeka” Chung Baedke] was very supportive of me and we have stayed in touch over the years. She introduced me to the IWLA and I have attended their conferences ever since” Brewer explained.

AHS

After working at WDMCS, she went to teach in Florida before coming back to Iowa. Brewer moved to Ankeny in 2018 and began teaching Spanish IV and V. Currently she has worked for six years in the Ankeny Community Schools District. Each day she looks forward to teaching her students, as they are the best part of her day. She focuses on creating fun and unique experiences for students. Brewer’s goal is to have students rise to their potential in Spanish so that they can use this experience in college and their lives. 

“I bring different videos, different music, different lessons. Just to see them all growing, speaking the language, appreciating the language, having fun, that’s what I’m looking forward to each day” Brewer stated. “I love working at AHS, I teach the levels that I love, and I have had great Students that bring joy. Also, I love seeing the growth in diversity in our building”.

The positive impact of Brewer’s teaching is apparent in the success of her students.

“I’d say she (Brewer) cares a lot about all of her students. She’s a native speaker of the language so I feel like I’m getting a good education whenever I’m in there and overall she just makes the classes very light-hearted and fun to be in” states AHS senior Andrew Hasse.”I’ve learned Spanish really well and overall I just have a good time in there. She always brightens my day and she’s overall just a fantastic person”.

Brewer has been a positive impact on her peers, encouraging them to put out their best effort.

“Mrs. Brewer is always challenging me to try something better, try something new,” Spanish teacher Elizabeth Dentlinger said. “She also affirms when it’s a good activity and that she likes something, and it’s nice to know when you make something good”.

Recognition for Passion

IWLA held its yearly conference on Oct. 3, bringing teachers from all across the state together, along with many presenters. The IWLA is important to Brewer as it allows her to meet many more educators in the same position as her, and is the perfect think tank to learn how to improve her teaching and create a better experience for her students. But the biggest shock of her career was when her friend “Keeka” gave her the 2024 Educator of the Year award.

“I was so surprised, I was like, what? What’s going on here? Because we have so many good teachers in the field and I never guessed that I was going to be, you know, one of the teachers of the year,” Brewer stated.

Brewer attributes her recognition by the IWLA to her passion for teaching her students.

“I believe just because I have a passion, and my passion is being a teacher, you know. Education is my passion,” Brewer said. “I don’t know what to do if it’s not teaching and when you’re passionate about your profession, you show that, right?”

Brewer also thanks her students and their family members for her success, as without them she wouldn’t be where she is today.

“I appreciate all my students, being so good in class, willing to learn, willing to grow with me. I appreciate the support of the parents behind the students,” Brewer stated. “Because without them we are kind of only one against a huge group of students”. 

Brewer’s students are also happy for her being recognized with this award, as it shows her dedication to teaching.

“I’m super happy for her. She is a wonderful Spanish teacher, and I come excited to class every day ready to learn Spanish,” AHS senior Mitchell Anderson said.

Despite receiving the Educator of the Year award, Brewer isn’t slowing down. She continues to teach Spanish with enthusiasm and helps students hone their language skills to become bilingual, with her goal being for all of her students to achieve the Seal of Biliteracy.

“I believe being a bilingual, a trilingual, a polyglot, it is important for anything for your future. The population is growing with diversity. Having a second language is like having a second soul, right? Because you’re thinking in different ways and you can open up your mind,” Brewer stated.