Grade 6 Spanish Enrichment Class Attends Héctor, the Electric Kid at GALA Hispanic Theatre

From Oscar Urízar Gromsch, Middle School Spanish Teacher: As part of our unit “Our Personal Identity,” my Grade 6 Spanish Enrichment class attended the bilingual play Héctor, the Electric Kid at GALA Hispanic Theatre. This experience tied beautifully into our IB and IDI goals of exploring identity, language, and culture through authentic, real-world experiences.

In our unit, students have been reflecting on questions like Who am I?, What makes me unique?, and How do I celebrate my identity? We’ve studied figures such as Frida Kahlo, analyzed the movie Coco, and explored cartonerismo, a Mexican artistic tradition that celebrates creativity and culture. Attending Héctor, the Electric Kid offered a powerful extension of this work, giving students the chance to see identity and cultural pride come alive through theatre.

The play tells the story of Héctor, a shy boy whose life changes after discovering a unique power — he’s electric. Through humor, music, and imagination, the story invites audiences to embrace what makes them different. This message resonated deeply with our students, connecting perfectly to the personal and cultural themes we’ve been exploring in class.

Beyond language practice, this visit allowed students to:

• Connect classroom learning with real-life cultural experiences
• Deepen their understanding of Hispanic identity and expression
• Strengthen their Spanish comprehension in an immersive setting
• Reflect on the role of art in building empathy and self-awareness

Some of their reflections capture just how meaningful this journey has been:

• “I love the unit and it has been important to explore how to find my own identity.”
• “I think that it is important — the concept of identity. You have to know who you are.”
• “Aprecio la identidad, y el hecho de tener que descubrir quién eres.”
• “Es un viaje que cada persona tiene que hacer para descubrirse.”

Experiences like this bring our IB learner profile to life — encouraging students to be reflective, open-minded, and courageous as they develop their sense of self in connection with the wider world.