In the public eye: WMS Spanish teacher instills language skills students can remember in future

Editor’s Note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Theresa McCabe believes that foreign languages are not just words. She thinks that they’re different ways of looking at the world and understanding other countries.

Theresa McCabe is in her fourth year of
serving as the Spanish teacher at Windham
Middle School and she says building
meaningful connections with students is
by far the best part of teaching.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

In her role as a Spanish teacher at Windham Middle School, McCabe does much more than simply teaching another language to her students. She introduces them to other cultures and assists them in learning to communicate effectively.

“Middle school students are navigating one of the most intense periods of growth emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually,” McCabe said. “As a teacher, I put a lot of effort into helping guide them through this journey. I design lessons to help students grow as a whole person. We focus a lot on communication skills, working together toward a common goal, and broadening our world views.”

Now in her fourth year of teaching at WMS, McCabe says building meaningful connections with students is by far the best part of teaching.

“These relationships create a foundation of trust that allows real learning to take place, not just academic growth, but personal growth as well. When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they become more engaged, more confident, and more willing to take risks in the classroom,” she said. “As a teacher, being a consistent and supportive adult in their lives, especially during the emotionally turbulent middle school years, can have a lasting impact far beyond the curriculum. These connections turn the classroom into a community, where students are not only learning a subject but also learning how to navigate life with empathy, resilience, and curiosity. Watching them grow, not just as students of language but as individuals, is both a privilege and a profound reward."

According to McCabe, the most challenging aspects of teaching involve managing the many different roles that teachers assume.

“Educators are no longer just responsible for delivering academic content, we’re also guiding students through emotional struggles, offering consistent support, and helping them develop coping strategies during difficult times,” she said. “We serve as advocates, mentors, and cheerleaders, often working to bridge the gap between home and school so students feel fully supported. Sometimes, that means helping meet basic needs that must be addressed before learning can even begin. The students who enter our classrooms in the fall are more than just learners. They quickly become part of our hearts, and we think of them as family.”

McCabe says a common misconception about her work is that many people think of language learning as rote memorization and grammar translation, but it’s far from how she teaches language in her classroom.

“I like to focus on having students use Spanish in supported, low stress activities like playing games, reading stories, and having conversations,” McCabe said. “I have heard from so many parents that they studied Spanish for four years in high school and all they can do is introduce themselves. I want more for my students. I strive to ensure that students leave my class with the ability to actually communicate in Spanish. I focus on teaching them pertinent language skills that they can remember and use.”

She grew up in Durham, Maine, and graduated from Brunswick High School before earning her undergraduate degree in Modern Languages (Spanish and German) from the University of Maine, which included a study abroad semester at the University of Salzburg in Austria. She later returned to the University of Maine in Orono to complete her graduate studies, earning a master’s degree in teaching.

“While I studied languages formally, much of my language education happened through immersive experiences abroad,” McCabe said. “To improve my Spanish, I spent a year living in Guatemala, volunteering with Safe Passage, a nonprofit based in Yarmouth. A few years later, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and spent a year in Mannheim, Germany, working as an English teaching assistant. These experiences, living and working in real-world, day-to-day language environments, are where I truly refined my skills and reached fluency.”

Before landing the job at Windham Middle School, McCabe taught Spanish at Massabesic Middle School for three years and prior to that, she worked as an Ed Tech for three years supporting students with special needs.

The most important thing McCabe says that she’s learned while teaching at Windham Middle School is to approach each day as a fresh start.

“By offering students a clean slate each day, we send a powerful message: everyone deserves another chance,” she said. “This mindset not only builds trust and resilience but also helps students learn accountability without shame. When we show patience and grace, we model the very qualities we hope to instill in them." <