Carmen Suárez

Carmen Suárez is a Spanish educator with over 12 years’ experience teaching learners across ages. Grounded in research on second language acquisition, she uses immersive, comprehensible-input instruction to build confidence and proficiency. As a lead teacher in independent schools, she has refined her craft, designed joyful, story-rich curricula, and mentored fellow educators.

Committed to continual growth, Carmen pursues professional development, attends world language conferences, and collaborates with colleagues to keep her practice innovative and effective.

She holds a B.A. in Literary Studies from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) and an M.A. in the Teaching of Spanish from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Earlier in her career, she partnered with Colombia’s Ministry of Culture as a writer-recorder and photographer, living six weeks with an Indigenous Amazonian community—an experience that deepened her understanding of culture and foodways.

Beyond the classroom, Carmen is a Spanish text editor and cultural ambassador. She shares her love of plant-based cuisine through classes and demos across Chicago and is developing a personal plant-based culinary project.

At Bennett Day School, Carmen teaches Spanish in the Early Childhood and Lower School program and is excited to help students grow as curious, globally minded learners and confident, independent thinkers.