Born and raised in Guatemala, Natalia Benjamin first learned her native Spanish. Then came French, which she began to read and write at a French school in Guatemala's capital city. By middle and high school, she was studying her third language and the one she now teaches to English-language learners at Century High School in Rochester.

Benjamin credits her own experiences for her passion for helping students grasp a new language. Her empathy and sensitivity, however, extend well beyond a grammar or vocabulary lesson, say those who nominated her for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

She won the title on Wednesday, becoming the first Latino educator and first teacher from the Rochester district to win the award.

"I was very humbled and surprised," Benjamin, 43, said. "It's an honor to represent Minnesota educators with this recognition."

As the state's Teacher of the Year, she will compete in the national contest and serve as an advocate for education.

Benjamin is the 57th recipient of the title and was chosen by an independent selection committee that reviewed 75 candidates, which were then narrowed down to nine finalists.

Natalia Benjamin is Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year.

This fall will be Benjamin's seventh year in the Rochester district, where she also teaches ethnic studies. Before that, she was a substitute teacher and a paraprofessional in the district and taught foreign language classes to elementary students in Idaho.

Molly Murphy, assistant principal at Century High School, wrote a letter supporting Benjamin's nomination. In it, she wrote that "Natalia sets her students up for success by fostering a safe, positive and welcoming learning environment for every child." Her classrooms are an "open, supportive environment with mutual respect," Murphy wrote.

Over her years of teaching, Benjamin said she's learned that supporting her students means more than focusing on the curriculum.

That proved especially true during the pandemic. Not only did she have to get creative and adaptable with her lessons, she also got a new window into the home lives of her students.

"It pushed me to be more empathetic for my students as individuals," she said. "We found out there was a lot going on behind the cameras."

Sometimes that meant finding out after class that a student had kept their camera off because they were busy trying to make a meal for a younger sibling, for example.

As she prepares for the school year, Benjamin aims to provide a supportive community in her classroom.

"It's been a tough year and we don't know what's ahead," she said. "But if we can be there for each other, we can tackle it."

The Teacher of the Year program is organized by Education Minnesota, the statewide teachers union.

mara.klecker@startribune.com 612-673-4440