Teaching
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Teaching Philosophy:
            My desire to learn Spanish first sparked in high school when I began traveling to Latin America. At the time, my comprehension of spoken Spanish was poor and still worse was my ability to communicate. Reflecting on this early experience, I believe that it was this realistic and often overwhelming exposure to Spanish that imparted me with two important beliefs about my language studies: firstly, that I was profoundly interested in the language and culture and secondly, I recognized that improving my language skills would be a long and trying process. Another component that served as motivation for me early on was that neither of my high school Spanish instructors were native speakers of the language. When the task of acquiring Spanish as a second language seemed utterly insurmountable to me, I remember often looking to these two individuals for inspiration. Studying the language at such an impressionable age, it was important for me to have both of these instructors as models that mastering another language was a feasible goal.
            Now that I am an instructor of Spanish at the college level, I confront the reality that my students do not always share my excitement for language studies for two possible reasons: a lack of interest and/or a general frustration. Thus, in teaching classroom intermediate level Spanish courses, I always keep in mind this reality and do my best to overcome it by creating an atmosphere in which students gain a feeling of empowerment in their command of the language as well as an appreciation for the logic behind the rules. I work hard every semester to give the students the hope that this time around, with me as their teacher, they will develop a deeper-rooted understanding and appreciation of Spanish.
            To empower my students, I strive to keep the anxiety level low by reinforcing previously acquired information and then explaining new concepts in a non-threatening manner. My purpose with every student is to strengthen his or her foundation and then build from that point. Explaining the subjunctive, for instance, a subject to which the majority of my students have had some previous exposure, is one of the topics that I enjoy the most. My treatment of the subjunctive typically begins with a brainstorming session of the different types of information, moods, and feelings that one can convey through language and then we look at examples of how the class is already correctly communicating these points using the indicative mode. Next, the class works together to explore why we would use the subjunctive to express these thoughts if there is a change in person. I find that by emphasizing the “why” and not only the “how” behind the grammar, my students can develop the critical thought necessary to become independent, confident, and motivated learners of the language.
            One tool that I use to create a sense of empowerment and foment interest in the target language is technology. Today’s college student is constantly seeking out new technological and often web-based resources to improve their means of communication and entertainment. If I can positively harness this energy and use it for the goal of instruction, then the student will be more interested and at the same time more active in their own instructional process. I am continually searching for innovative pedagogical uses of the Internet, whether through a music video with popup questions that I create through YouTube or a socio-historical mock trial in the form of a WebQuest. Students respond very favorably to these instructional activities because they are authentic and creative while at the same time empowering on the individual level. By showing the student the instructional possibilities behind a common tool of entertainment, the study of language suddenly becomes engaging and approachable to them.
            Lastly, in addition to placing great import on creating dynamic and thoughtful lesson plans, I find equally important personal reflection on my teaching. Every day, I dedicate a portion of my planning to the evaluation of the previous day’s activities. I recognize that just as I work to develop my personal understanding of Spanish, I must also work to improve the manner in which I communicate and reinforce the language to my students. Each day that I am in the classroom I seek to convey to my students in the most effective means possible my understanding of and personal experiences with the Spanish language. My hope is that every one of my students finishes the semester interested in Spanish and motivated to continue on with their studies. The ultimate sign that I have achieved this goal is when a student who was struggling or uninterested at the beginning of the semester informs me that he or she has decided to study abroad and possibly major in the language. With every semester that I teach, this occurrence becomes more common which signifies to me that I must be on the right path to achieving my goals.