Señorita Dafni, Owner/Teacher

Señorita Daneel Dafni is an experienced Spanish teacher and former nanny with a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Spanish and International Business.  As a veteran Spanish teacher who adores children, she has developed a plethora of educational resources to accommodate a variety of learning styles.  She has lived in Spain and Costa Rica and has traveled to many Spanish-speaking countries to perfect her knowledge of the language.  When Señorita Dafni is not teaching Spanish, you can find her selling real estate, or playing in nature with her sweet perra named Sola. She is excited to share her teaching techniques with the local community and is hoping to spread her passion for the Spanish language to your child, too!

Señora Laura, Teacher/Tutor

Laura is an experienced Spanish speaker with a Master’s in Social work. She has lived all over the world, including Venezuela, Argentina, and Costa Rica. She loves to spend extended periods of time in foreign places so she can immerse herself in the language, connect with people and try to understand and truly experience other ways of life.

Laura has worn many hats but one consistency is using her Spanish. She taught preschool in Spanish to Spanish-speaking children at Head Start in Madison, WI. She taught yoga in Spanish in Argentina and New York City. She counseled native Spanish speakers, both children and adults in Brooklyn and Queens after receiving her Master’s degree. Laura believes by learning another language we are able to connect deeper with people who speak that language and therefore build strong beautiful relationships.

Señor Robbie, Teacher/Tutor

Robbie (he/him) is a Spanish teacher and theatre educator. He has lived in Chile and Spain, where he has taught English and studied theatre while practicing his Spanish. While living abroad, Robbie loved trying new things, including watercolor painting and flamenco dancing. Robbie loves teaching learners how to have their first conversations in a new language.

Señora Alejandra, Teacher/Tutor

Señora Alejandra (Ale) grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico. A few years ago, she moved to Chicago, IL, and graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Advertising. Ale has always had a true love and passion for language. In 2016, she completed her certification in translation and interpretation (English/Spanish) for the Illinois Early Intervention program (EI) (a statewide program that provides services for children who have delays in development or a medical diagnosis), and since then, has been working with children professionally.

Additionally, Ale tutored children in Chicago who had recently arrived in the United States. She provided these young students with one-on-one ESL (English as Second Language) services. Ale recently relocated to Portland, ME with her husband and is excited to bring her expertise to Escuela Pura Vida. In the future, she hopes to go back to college to become an Occupational Therapist and continue to help children. When not working, she loves art, traveling, flowers and fashion.

SEÑOR Dave Schaefer, Online TUTOR

As his Spanish students quickly discover, Dave Schaefer lives in the Guatemalan Highland village of Santiago Atitlan, a historic location surrounded by three volcanoes on a precious lake. While he is not enjoying the local sites and Mayan culture, Dave does what he has been doing for the past 20 years: he teaches students! Dave grew up in Southern California and got his multiple-subject teaching credential from San Diego State University in 2001. An interest in anthropology led him to earn a Master's degree from the University of Texas, Austin, in 2011. Over the years, he has taught American and Guatemalan students at a number of academic institutions subjects ranging from science and math to art and social studies ... and Spanish! In his free time, Dave loves to play soccer, study, and participate in the local traditional culture, as well as travel. He lives in the village of Santiago with his wife, Mary, and their 4-year-old daughter, Avelina. They are pictured here during a recent trip to Peru!