Fermín Pérez-Andreu

Instructor in Modern Languages Fermín Pérez-Andreu has always appreciated the gift of education. “Education can be an equalizer. It is easy for people who have means to have a good education to continue in a very good situation and position in society,” he said. “For people with no means, education is a way for them to get out of that situation.”

Pérez developed this view of education during his childhood years. “Up to when I was five years old, we didn’t have a shower or a bathtub in my house. The political system in Spain, which allows everyone to access public higher education at a very low cost, allowed me to be in a different situation later [in my life],” he said. Pérez was inspired to give back to the community by becoming a teacher after witnessing the immense effects of his own education.

Pérez now believes that education also strengthens the bonds between people. “By having more education, we can have a world where we can listen to each other better. By listening to each other, we have more chances to solve problems,” he said.

As an instructor in Spanish, Pérez strives to create these links by presenting a range of topics in his courses. “Teaching Spanish, especially in the upper levels, you're getting into different kinds of topics, and that makes it fun,” he said. Pérez has used everything from soap opera-style television series in “The Telenovela,” a course he developed, to dressing up as Miguel de Cervantes on Halloween to teach his students.

Pérez sees humor and performance as defining aspects of his approach to education. “In class, you have to be a little bit of a performer … There is material to cover, and that is important, but sometimes you have to understand the rhythm of the class and add some [flair],” he said. “You have to have a certain enthusiasm that will become contagious to your students.” Though he sees Harkness as inherently collaborative, Pérez believes that instructors must set the tone of the classroom.

In his attempt to engage students, Pérez created an alter ego: Super Señor. Instructor in Modern Languages Inna Sysevich remembers when this masked warrior helped her when her students were attempting to see the results of a Book Prize early. “They [were] pretending to ambush me, and I [was standing guard] with the box. Mr. Pérez happened to look in, and I said, ‘Please come help! I am being ambushed,'” she said. However, Pérez ran off in another direction, leaving Sysevich curious as to what he was doing. “He came back in seconds wearing superman's outfit—Super Señor. Apparently, [he] had a Superman cape in his closet.”

Pérez also has a now well-known catchphrase that adds to his affability. “It occurred to me to say that [students] should go to bed early because, the next day, they had to be fresco como una lechuga, ‘fresh as lettuce,’” he said. “I noticed that people found it funny, so I had to take advantage of this joke.” Today, numerous alumni say the phrase back to him at reunions.

Pérez’s commitment to engaging students has left them with fond memories. Though he once saw Spanish as just a graduation requirement, senior Jeremy Xu’s class with Pérez changed his approach to the language. “I really started looking forward going to classes every day,” Xu said. “Mr. Pérez is an active teacher, and he is passionate about teaching Spanish.”

Anna Reaman ’18 shared a similar experience with Pérez, who she described as “one of the best teachers I have had [or] will ever have in my lifetime.” As a student, Reaman appreciated his ability to convey the richness of Spanish culture. “[However,] what makes Señor so special is that he truly takes the time to engage with every one of his students and never fails to bring the light to the classroom,” she said. “Outside of the classroom, Señor greets everyone he sees with an exceptionally large grin and a roaring ‘Hola.’”

Each week in Dow House, students are greeted with this same warmth from Pérez. Prior to his role as a dorm affiliate in Dow, he worked in Wentworth Hall, Webster Hall, Abbott Hall and Ewald Hall. “At dorm activities, he’s present, he’s there with the student, sharing light conversation, making people laugh. He has a really great connection with the students, and that’s impressive,” Dow House Dorm Head and Instructor in Modern Languages Amadou Talla said. “He’s a positive spirit.”

Pérez puts his values on education into other aspects of his life as well. “He has a keen ability to assess what would be a just and productive response to conflict,” his wife, Instructor in Modern Languages Ellen Glassner said. “I trust him fully to give me guidance … Sr. Pérez really is as truly kind as he seems. He is one of the most sensitive, patient and thoughtful people I know.”

Moreover, Pérez is keenly interested in the arts. “Many years ago, I used to paint with acrylics,” he said. “Then, I started doing work on the computer … I made designs for posters, t-shirts that people could buy on the Internet.” Currently, he is working on a graphic novel for his classes. While he joked that these endeavors “are not going to take me out of teaching,” he sees art as another way to appreciate the world around him.

Pérez puts his creative talents to good use when it comes to gift-giving. Instructor in Modern Languages Kayoko Tazawa recalled a gift this “man with many talents” gave her when she had her second child, incoming prep Kevin Tazawa-Goodchild. “When I had a baby, Kevin, [Pérez] painted a picture for him. It is actually still in his bedroom,” she said. “[Pérez] is very creative … He is a performer, an artist.”

Similarly, Pérez employs his artistic talent in his teachings. According to Tazawa, Pérez’s classroom is furnished with such tools as green screens, costumes and reflecting boards that he makes use of to generate films with his students. “He doesn’t do anything halfway—just look at the quality,” Tazawa said. “We hear the noise all the time, so I am sure his students are having a great time.”

Friends also describe Pérez as an original spirit. History Instructor Bill Jordan reminisced about a game that the two used to play, which they called puffball. The game involved a large foam ball and followed the rules of squash. “It was right on our speed—there was no way we could play squash … We had no shame. Most people, men especially, would probably be embarrassed to play something like puffball,” he said. “But we were proud.”

Though Pérez is usually very animated, his family knows another side of him. “At home, he is very laid back and just likes to spend time with our dog or reading philosophy books,” his daughter, upper Paula Pérez-Glassner, said. “My best memories with him are going on little adventures together and just driving around, talking in the car, going mini golfing or [getting food from] Las Olas.”

Jordan also admires Pérez’s intellectualism. “He is an intellectual who’s interested in ideas, in thinking about ideas. And he’s not trying to impress somebody to show that he’s smart,” Jordan said. “He’s very down to earth, so he could have these conversations with anybody. That’s the kind of person I like to be with.”

As he ends his twentieth year at the Academy, Pérez’s reason for staying remains the same. “It’s the students,” he said. “Besides the facilities, the professional development opportunities, what I have enjoyed a lot is to have the kind of students that I feel that I can really teach.”