Teacher Feature: Mr. Luis
You never run out of creative ideas for teaching. What are some places you draw your inspiration from?
I've always been a creative person and I love thinking outside of the box. I'm always asking myself "What would make this activity better? What would make this activity more fun?"
I'm always keeping in mind that our programs run in tandem with a regular school day where young people are subjected to getting the right answer and to follow formulas that lead to a single path, so anything I can do to offer a different experience is always a good place to start.
I don't pretend to come up with everything on my own. I certainly draw inspiration from pop culture. Popular TV shows, movies, tik tok, youtube, music, and games are often sources of inspiration.
Tell us about your amazing work outside of BAE!!
I am an educator, a performer, and a creator. I have a small media company called Bilingual Broadway where I make content for Spanish-speaking and Bilingual audiences in the US and beyond. I'm also the producer of a children's podcast called I, Futuremaker which will be available for streaming soon.
Luis Mora has been working with BAE since 2019. Both our staff and students sing Luis’ praises. We interviewed Luis to see if we could capture his magnetic energy and charisma!
You were one of the first employees at BAE! How did you find us?
I first learned about BAE when they were putting up a gala concert to fundraise for the program. At the time, I was transitioning out of my last job as a coordinator and was looking for a non-profit whose values aligned with mine. I volunteered to be part of "back-up singers for the evening and that's where I met Ben and Katy.
What are you most excited about going into the classroom?
The kids! I can plan my day until I'm blue in the face but nothing will change the course of your day like interacting with a young person. They keep me on my toes, they bring inspiration, they bring reality to whatever we are doing.
What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had as an educator?
A lot of people who teach or work with young people are looking for immediate results of their work. The biggest thing I learned in this field is that our impact looks different with each kid. For some of them the impact is more long term but that doesn't mean it is any less valuable.
