“I was born in Atlanta, went to an urban inner city school. I enjoyed all of my people but all of my people looked like me and there were no Afro-Latinos at the time. So I really hadn’t heard people speak Spanish. So Enrique Pupo-Walker from Cuba rolled out with his. I was like, “Oh my. I may have bitten off more than I can chew.”
Isn’t that story great??
To read about Clarissa Adams Fletcher is one thing–impressive, to be sure. But to meet her, to experience her energy and joy, her focus and kindness, her humor and sense of proportion, her intelligence and insights: that’s an experience that can change your career and personal life for the better. It certainly has changed the lives of many, many students in Georgia and well beyond for the better for over 30 years. As an educator, Clarissa focuses her inspiring personality on YOU.
You can experience Clarissa’s energy and insights by listening to my conversation with her (Episode 40), but I invite you to take a moment to check out her biography below. Better, take time to connect with Clarissa, to experience her presence. She’ll celebrate you and you’ll feel more inspired yourself, just as her students and colleagues–myself included–have felt through the years.
Clarissa Adams Fletcher’s Bio
Clarissa Adams Fletcher is an Advanced Placement (AP) teacher and the World Languages Department Chair at Dunwoody High School, in Dekalb County, Georgia, north Atlanta region. She has taught at Dunwoody since August 1991. She also served eight years as a College Board AP Table Leader and Reader for World Language Education, and as an AP Spanish Teacher for the Georgia Virtual School for eleven years.
Clarissa received her M.A. in Latin American Studies from Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt she also served as Head Resident and Resident Assistant at McTyeire International House.
Resources
Learn more about world language education and advocacy:
ACTFL – the national world language organization: https://www.actfl.org/
National Board Certification: https://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification/
JNCL-NCLIS – the national language advocacy organization: https://www.languagepolicy.org/
AATSP – American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese: https://www.aatsp.org/
Learn more about and connect up with Clarissa:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissa-adams-fletcher-nbct-670a6121
Twitter: @cadamsf1
To learn more about previous guests on It’s About Language or access other episodes of the podcast, visit It’s About Language or click on the Podcast tab above.