Teacher exchange program duo embrace teaching and learning

When husband and wife, Pere Valls and Laura Moreno, traveled from Spain to teach in Dallas, they brought global expertise to Chapel Hill Preparatory Academy and embarked on a journey of sharing new cultural experiences with their young children.

“The idea is to go to a new country, learn, and bring that knowledge back home. It’s an exchange—I’m learning new techniques and teaching strategies while sharing what I know,” Moreno said. 

Moreno currently teaches ESL classes and has 18 years of experience in elementary education. Valls brings 25 years of teaching experience to his role as a fifth-grade math teacher at Chapel Hill. They see the exchange program as an opportunity for their children to learn more about the world while sharpening their language skills.

This is the third time the family has traveled to the United States as part of the Visiting International Teachers Program teacher exchange initiative.

“You learn language fast, but you forget faster,” said Vallas. The family returned to ensure their children could grow up bilingual in English and Spanish. 

When their son was 4 years old, his grandmother helped him practice writing skills. By the time he began attending Chapel Hill, his teachers were impressed with his handwriting and overall academic growth. His sister also continues rapidly improving and picking up English comprehension. When the Valls family is not at school, they enjoy traveling and making new friends.

“I think we’re the kind of family that fits with everybody. We’ve got friends in the United States, Mexico, Japan, and Spain. As long as people are nice, it doesn’t matter where they come from,” Moreno said.

In Reno, Nev., they were two of three Spanish-speaking teachers in their school, Valls said. Now, they are two out of hundreds of bilingual teachers in Dallas where they have met people from other Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico, El Salvador, and Colombia.

“I love learning about other cultures by connecting with other educators. It enriches your knowledge,” he said.

Though the Valls family plans to return to Spain in three years, they cherish the opportunity to share this global experience with their children while they’re young.

“We’re living in a society where you need to know a bit of everything,” Valls said. “It’s important for kids to experience different cultures—they’ll be better prepared for the future. Our children have dual citizenship, and maybe one day, they’ll return for college here.”

Moreno appreciates how their jobs allow them to offer their children a cultural immersion many dream of. 

“Our kids are so lucky to be with us in the same school,” she said. “Even though it was tough for them at the beginning, I was always right here, and their dad was at the end of the hallway. So many people pay to send their kids abroad, and we get to do it simply through our work as teachers.”