OSKALOOSA, Iowa — A teacher in Oskaloosa has a passion for inspiring his students to read, both in English and Spanish.
He’s now part of an inaugural group of educators awarded a grant to further the learning experience.
"'El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho'," said Tim Foster, a Spanish teacher at Oskaloosa High School. "'He who reads a lot and travels widely sees much and knows much'. That's a Cervantes quote."
Foster is fostering the minds of his students, one book at a time.
"I've had so many students who they're kind of burnt out on reading, they, they don't enjoy it anymore in English, but to do it in Spanish almost gives them an escape or gives them a reason to fall in love with reading, again,” Foster said.
He was named one of only eight inaugural National Book Foundation Teacher Fellows this year, chosen from applicants across the country.
He'll receive a $3,000 stipend as well as a $2,000 grant to purchase books for his classroom.
"I was very surprised,” he said.
As part of the fellowship, Foster had to submit a proposal for an initiative to further reading in the classroom.
His initiative: reading circles, where students will read translations of their favorite books in Spanish.
While Foster is being recognized nationally for his teaching, he said those he cares about impressing most are his students.
"If you tell him a book that you want, he'll go out and buy it with his own money, with whatever he has, because he wants us to love learning and love reading and anything he can do to help us further our journey in reading," said junior Madelyne Vernooy, a student in Foster’s class.
Foster’s students said his dedication and passion make his classroom a beacon for learning.
"He'll do whatever he needs to do to let you learn language and help you and guide you throughout the learning process,” said junior Karsen Lopez. “I've had him since my freshman year and it was his first-year teaching, so I've really I've really just grown with him."
That appreciation is one of Foster’s inspirations.
"Really, it's inspired by them that I applied for this because any kind of extra experience here we can get money for our classroom library is just a wonderful thing,” Foster said.
At the end of the school year, Foster will have the opportunity to convene with his cohort of fellows in New York City.