John Narvaez, Teacher

Mr. John Narvaez´s early memories of games and playing are related to chalkboards and books, imaginary students or cousins who loved to play “school” with him as their teacher.  Born and raised in historical Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, he moved at age 16 to nearby Barranquilla to complete his studies in Modern Languages at Universidad del Atlántico, where he graduated with honors in 2001.

His interest in acquiring experience prior to his graduation led John to start working in 1997, in a bilingual school called IDPHU -an innovative school that offered early education and differentiation for gifted students to foster the development of intelligence and talents.  His experience at IDPHU influenced his personal philosophy of education, a process which, he thinks, leads human beings to discover their inner potential.  John thinks active educational practices should be aimed at the whole person, not just the intellect. Using balance as the basis for everything John  does in the classroom has proven to be an effective way to help his students develop critical skills and an awareness of the world beyond their immediate surroundings. 

In 2002, John was selected among many other Colombian teachers to participate in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program Scholarship sponsored by the Department of State, an experience that truly made him grow professionally and personally.  As the result of his outstanding performance, he also participated in the California Reading and Literature Project through a partnership of his school district and the University of California at Los Angeles.  There he extended his understanding of curriculum development and transdisciplinary instruction.

After returning to Colombia, John has shared his experience being an active leader in the fields of English Language Teaching and English as a Second Language.  He has actively worked in bilingual schools in Barranquilla and Bogotá, as a coordinator, Bilingual Project Director and Academic Consultant for Cambridge University Press.  Before coming to Magellan, he was working at the British International College, an IB school, as the Literacy coordinator for the Primary Section and as an official evaluator of the University of Cambridge-CIPAT international tests.

John is married to Estrella Luz Gutierrez, literally a star in his life!  John and Estrella have two children: Juliana, aged 6, and Esteban, 4. John says, “My family and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to experience teaching at Magellan and living in Austin.  It truly involves a lot of changes, but being part of the construction of such a wonderful educational project definitely makes it worth it!”

John strongly believes in the IB model for education even from the early stages of schooling, because it provides a vision that promotes social change and mutual understanding, two of the most important aspects that today’s fast-moving world requires.