CURRENT & UPCOMING TEACHING SCHEDULE:
Lee University
Fall 2016
SPAN 110-01, Elementary Spanish Fast Track: MWF, 1-1:50, TR 1:10-2:25
SPAN 212-01, Intermediate Spanish: TR 2:35-3:50
ENGL 090, English as a Second Language: MWF 11-11:50
SCED 414/EDUC 518, Teaching Languages 6-12: R 5-7:00
Spring 2017
SPAN 210, Intermediate Spanish Fast Track: MWF 1-1:50, TR 1:10-2:25
ENGL 382/LING 382, English Language Center Seminar, R 4:00-4:50
LING 381, Language Acquisition and Development: TR 9:10-10:25
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
To engage, enlighten, and empower. Throughout my eight years of teaching college-level Spanish and English courses, I have striven to accomplish these primary goals in each and every one of my classrooms.
Engage. Though cliche, the following Chinese proverb has long been by motto in the classroom: “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” First and foremost, I strive to make my classroom a student-centered, communicative and engaging environment, one in which students are encouraged to bring their unique talents and personalities to the table. I begin each semester by surveying my students, asking them about their learning styles, interests and what fears they have coming into the semester. Knowing this information helps me develop engaging and personally relevant in-class activities and discussions, which in turn helps students internalize the material better. By understanding my students’ academic goals and social interests, I am able to include content (e.g., vocabulary, readings, and film clips) connected to their interests. For example, I try to incorporate videos, discussions, and vocabulary that will help my students in their respective fields of study and engage them in their academic passions. During every class period, I also incorporate various mediums of teaching (e.g., videos, references to popular culture, music) so that students may feel more comfortable with the material and see how it both connects and applies to their daily lives.
Enlighten. Second, I aim to enlighten my students by opening their eyes to the world around them, showing them that speaking and understanding other languages can help them communicate with others, bridge gaps between cultures, and lead to a deeper understanding of people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Studying other cultures via language broadens students’ minds, encourages tolerance and inclusion, and facilitates critical thinking about human behavior. My students and I openly yet respectfully discuss differences in religion and family structure, environmental issues and political foundations, comparing and contrasting cultural perspectives and traditions while using the target language to improve language ability. My students are asked to share their own cultural backgrounds and experiences with their classmates, and are often surprised and intrigued to discover the diversity present around them. In addition, I have my students watch various foreign films that expose them to new ideas, helping them understand how people in other cultures view the world, thereby also giving a human face to global issues. Students are challenged to leave preconceived notions of language and culture at the entrance to my classroom, and to entertain new ideas and perspectives that allow them to both examine and strengthen their own opinions as individuals.
Empower. Finally, I seek to empower my students, building their confidence as both language learners and college students. In a foreign language classroom, self-confidence is sometimes hard to come by. Students often times refrain from speaking or even asking questions because they are afraid of making mistakes or sounding strange. From day one, I make it clear to students that mistakes are expected, and should be seen not as setbacks but rather as opportunities for growth. Additionally, I make it a point to inspire each student to not only develop better language skills, but also to take pride in their work and begin to see themselves as individuals capable of accomplishing extraordinary tasks. For example, after each oral interview or essay, I provide individualized feedback, not only indicating errors but also highlighting students’ strengths and successes. Students are encouraged to share this feedback with one another, learn from one another’s mistakes, and thus believe that they, even as students, can make valuable contributions to our learning environment and experience.
Lee University
Fall 2016
SPAN 110-01, Elementary Spanish Fast Track: MWF, 1-1:50, TR 1:10-2:25
SPAN 212-01, Intermediate Spanish: TR 2:35-3:50
ENGL 090, English as a Second Language: MWF 11-11:50
SCED 414/EDUC 518, Teaching Languages 6-12: R 5-7:00
Spring 2017
SPAN 210, Intermediate Spanish Fast Track: MWF 1-1:50, TR 1:10-2:25
ENGL 382/LING 382, English Language Center Seminar, R 4:00-4:50
LING 381, Language Acquisition and Development: TR 9:10-10:25
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
To engage, enlighten, and empower. Throughout my eight years of teaching college-level Spanish and English courses, I have striven to accomplish these primary goals in each and every one of my classrooms.
Engage. Though cliche, the following Chinese proverb has long been by motto in the classroom: “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” First and foremost, I strive to make my classroom a student-centered, communicative and engaging environment, one in which students are encouraged to bring their unique talents and personalities to the table. I begin each semester by surveying my students, asking them about their learning styles, interests and what fears they have coming into the semester. Knowing this information helps me develop engaging and personally relevant in-class activities and discussions, which in turn helps students internalize the material better. By understanding my students’ academic goals and social interests, I am able to include content (e.g., vocabulary, readings, and film clips) connected to their interests. For example, I try to incorporate videos, discussions, and vocabulary that will help my students in their respective fields of study and engage them in their academic passions. During every class period, I also incorporate various mediums of teaching (e.g., videos, references to popular culture, music) so that students may feel more comfortable with the material and see how it both connects and applies to their daily lives.
Enlighten. Second, I aim to enlighten my students by opening their eyes to the world around them, showing them that speaking and understanding other languages can help them communicate with others, bridge gaps between cultures, and lead to a deeper understanding of people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Studying other cultures via language broadens students’ minds, encourages tolerance and inclusion, and facilitates critical thinking about human behavior. My students and I openly yet respectfully discuss differences in religion and family structure, environmental issues and political foundations, comparing and contrasting cultural perspectives and traditions while using the target language to improve language ability. My students are asked to share their own cultural backgrounds and experiences with their classmates, and are often surprised and intrigued to discover the diversity present around them. In addition, I have my students watch various foreign films that expose them to new ideas, helping them understand how people in other cultures view the world, thereby also giving a human face to global issues. Students are challenged to leave preconceived notions of language and culture at the entrance to my classroom, and to entertain new ideas and perspectives that allow them to both examine and strengthen their own opinions as individuals.
Empower. Finally, I seek to empower my students, building their confidence as both language learners and college students. In a foreign language classroom, self-confidence is sometimes hard to come by. Students often times refrain from speaking or even asking questions because they are afraid of making mistakes or sounding strange. From day one, I make it clear to students that mistakes are expected, and should be seen not as setbacks but rather as opportunities for growth. Additionally, I make it a point to inspire each student to not only develop better language skills, but also to take pride in their work and begin to see themselves as individuals capable of accomplishing extraordinary tasks. For example, after each oral interview or essay, I provide individualized feedback, not only indicating errors but also highlighting students’ strengths and successes. Students are encouraged to share this feedback with one another, learn from one another’s mistakes, and thus believe that they, even as students, can make valuable contributions to our learning environment and experience.