Taking over the teaching role for the Spanish 1 and 2 teacher, Mrs. Jane Harmon, students get a warm welcome to the class from their new long-term substitute teacher, Mr. Pablo Iñiguez. For six weeks, Iñiguez has been leading the pack, providing a whole new teaching experience in place of Harmon’s absence and offering a fun, enjoyable experience.

“I am definitely grateful [to] Mrs. Harmon for asking me to fill in for her,” Iñiguez said. “It was a great experience and I met a lot of really nice students. I hope they enjoyed me as a substitute as well.”

Iñiguez has been a substitute teacher here in the Chino Valley Unified School District for many years. Ever since joining the district in 2019, he has continually filled in for teachers and interacted with students in each class, especially here at Ayala. Interacting with the students is one of the primary reasons he has dedicated his time to substituting.

“I have been working for the school district as a certified substitute teacher since 2019. I previously worked in the Montebello School district for a couple of years,” Iñiguez said. “I have always enjoyed being around kids so teaching has always come naturally to me.”

Iñiguez is no stranger to long-term substituting, as he has had experience being in that position before at Hidden Trails Elementary School, as well as the other high schools within the district. He’s more adjusted and satisfied with long-term substitute teaching than regular substituting.

“I enjoy the long-term positions because they give me a chance to really get to know the kids and the culture of the classroom and school,” Iñiguez said.

His most recent job was for Harmon, who announced her formal hiatus for six weeks. Students in her class initially expressed many mixed feelings of fear, sadness, and worry as they enjoyed her presence.

“I was upset when I first heard about the information regarding Mrs. Harmon’s leave,” Tessa Santana (10) said. “She always communicated with the class, and I was worried we wouldn’t have a substitute as nice as her.”

However, Harmon personally selected Iñiguez to be her long-term substitute. She planned out all six weeks’ worth of work and directions for Iñiguez to assign to the students. Tasked with being a temporary Spanish teacher, Iñiguez has learned to adapt to this specific teaching environment, as well as enjoy it.

“Ms. Harmon has been very supportive and communicative throughout my stay here. It helps that she had a routine in place already, so I was able to step in with minimal changes to expectations and the culture of the classroom,” said Iñiguez. “Plus, the whole Spanish department has been very helpful and friendly. It has been a great experience and I’m sad that it’s coming to an end.”

For students, it was rough to see Harmon leave due to their familiarity with her. As Iñiguez makes his stay and as the students continue with class, they find his teaching style to be a learning curve. Just like how Iñiguez adapted to the teaching environment, the students have adjusted as well.

“With the new unit and style of teaching, it was confusing at first,” student Farima Tavana (10) said. “However, I adapted quickly, and I succeeded in this unit with the new teaching style.”

In the six-week time window, Iñiguez has become a fan favorite in the substitute world of Ayala. Many students enjoy the energy he brings to the classroom, especially as a laid-back person. He creates a fun atmosphere for the students while at the same time making sure everyone remains on task and gets their work done.

“One of my favorite memories was when the whole class finished their work with 20 minutes to spare. He let the whole class play a couple of games of heads-up seven-up,” Santana said.

As the six weeks come to an end, the memories of Iñiguez’s substitute teaching will be cherished forever. Many students celebrate Harmon’s return to teaching, but will all still see and consider Iñiguez as part of the family.

“I remember the [Hispanic Heritage Month] door competition. The entire class contributed, including Mr. Iñiguez, in decorating the door the best we could [to commemorate the painter Frida Kahlo],” said Tavana. “I remember this day specifically because it was a day where everyone had fun decorating with Iniguez.”