What is your teaching philosophy?

I teach Spanish in a dynamic style, creating an active learning environment, which actively engages students and makes the content more comprehensible. My lessons are based on dialogue and discussions, which also foster life-long learning. I also like sharing with my students the cultural aspect of the language. The Hispanic culture is enormously rich in traditions, fables, stories and history. My primary goal is to help students build a solid foundation in the language learning process.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

First of all, I like to know about my student´s goals and why do they want to learn the language. Also I ask them about their interests, so can use materials that are interesting and useful for them.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

In my opinion, students become independent learners when they have enough motivation and confidence in their abilities. Learning a language is an action that requires the student to recover from mistakes and learn from errors.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

In my experience, learning about those subjects that students are interested in and observing their own achievements keep my students motivated.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

There are different approaches to use. If I see that a student is showing a difficulty, I will try to explain the concept using a different skill and connecting with previous concepts.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

One big part of comprehension is having a sufficient vocabulary, or knowing the meanings of enough words. To start, it is important to read the material in short sections, making sure the student understands each step of the way. Also, I like to discuss the meanings of unknown words. Finally, I find useful to make connections between the text and similar experiences the student may have felt, saw in a movie, or read in another book.