A 'golden' North Jersey teacher brings Spanish language, culture to kids with disabilities

NUTLEY — For Isabel Cosme, teaching Spanish to students with autism, behavioral and intellectual disabilities and other conditions has led her on an extraordinary and ongoing journey.

Cosme, 52, is a Spanish teacher and curriculum specialist at The Phoenix Center, a nonprofit private school in Nutley for children with disabilities. She has been working at the center for 25 years in different roles, but she has found a mission helping to teach a largely Latino student body about Hispanic language and culture.

The Phoenix Center serves pupils from nine counties in North Jersey, including Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris and Sussex, said spokesperson Nina Dietrich. Some students are completely nonverbal and have physical limitations; others are able to read words and have basic interactions.

Cosme, who is Ecuadoran American, has been an educator for over 30 years, starting as an early-intervention teacher for young children with developmental disabilities. As the only certified Spanish teacher at the center over the past four years, her main responsibility has been to expose her ninth, 10th and 11th grade students from diverse backgrounds to various aspects of Hispanic and Latino culture in her World Language class.

In her daily lessons, she incorporates images, music, movie clips, cooking and dance to give students the opportunity to understand the Spanish language.

“I try to pair everything with a picture or picture symbol, so that way the communication is understood and well received,” Cosme said. “A lot of our students have challenges with communication, so increasing their understanding of the vocabulary is important and having them practice certain words that I know that they can in context of the lesson is crucial.”

Each class session lasts 30 minutes and includes six to nine students with a paraprofessional. During the lessons, students familiarize themselves with musical instruments representing distinct cultural backgrounds such as the accordion and conga drums, in addition to identifying pictures of Hispanic cultural icons.

On one recent Tuesday morning, students danced salsa along with Cosme to “Vivir Mi Vida” ("Live My Life") by Puerto Rican artist Marc Anthony. The class sang “We Don’t Talk about Bruno” in Spanish as they watched video clips from the film "Encanto."

One of the students, Kevin F., whose parents requested that his last name not be used, does not speak and uses an iPad to communicate. Asked about his favorite part of the class, he wrote that he enjoys dancing and playing the accordion.

Cosme's Spanish class is a critical part of the school's program, said Julie Mower, the executive director of The Phoenix Center.

“Teaching about all of our cultures is so vitally important,” she said. “Acceptance of others, being inclusive with others, sharing your love for your own culture and then your respect for other people's cultures is so important for everybody, and the same thing for our kids as well.”

Almost one in five Nutley residents identifies as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 census, and many Phoenix Center students come from Spanish-speaking households. Adding a Spanish course to the curriculum was important, as is demonstrating to students the richness of the language and culture, Cosme said.

It's worked because Cosme is a brilliant teacher, Mower added.

“Isabel is a golden teacher,” she said. “Teachers like Isabel make the program as amazing as it is. You cannot have a program of this level and caliber without individuals like Isabel.”

One of the school's missions is to ensure that parents are involved in the success and progress of their children. Cosme said she encourages parents to share general information about their lives with the class, including photos of family vacations. That helps students connect with the material they learn in class.

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Cosme said the most difficult task she faces is getting to know what sustains students' interests, attention and motivation. Each faces unique challenges with behavior and communication, she said. It's critical to maintain their interest and interactions with one another.

The teacher said she has grown through her work as well. The class has allowed Cosme to discover new skills and to build one-on-one connections with her pupils.

“I really enjoy doing it,” Cosme said. “I explore my creative side, putting together a lesson and materials for my students. I really like this aspect of my job because I get that firsthand, hands-on experience with the students.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Teacher at The Phoenix Center heads 'amazing' special-needs class