Teaching is a fundamental aspect of society. It can kindle curiosity and admiration for the wonders that surround us, it can instill a desire to know more, it can inspire to achieve great feats.
As a teacher, I strive to convey to my students that learning is a process of discovery, not a destination toward established answers. As such, students should expect that new material can be difficult to comprehend at first, but it becomes progressively easier and exciting. In the process of learning new concepts, both students and teachers may find that discoveries are often the result of surprising and unexpected questions. In my courses, students are constantly encouraged to ask questions, think independently, and to formulate their own hypotheses.

At the same time, students are reassured that they are part of a supportive learning environment where everybody can rely on help from the teacher. It is my strongest belief that every student is a unique human being who deserves respect, personal attention and encouragement. I strive to address each and every student’s individual learning styles, and to make myself available for explanations inside and outside of the classroom environment.

Since in a foreign language class students may feel self-conscious, it is important to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere to increase their confidence and self-esteem. One way to achieve this goal is by engaging students in games, pair-work, information gap exercises, and role plays practiced in small groups. In addition to establishing a feeling of confidence and solidarity among students, these activities also provide an opportunity for rote repetition that never turns boring or stressful. One other tool that can make students feel confident and daring is positive reinforcement. This encourages students to take risks while at the same time promotes accuracy.

Although it is desirable that the class environment be stress-free, the content of instruction must stimulate the student’s curiosity and intellectual abilities. In my classes, students are asked to infer contextual or grammatical information from various visual, aural, and written sources. They are challenged with authentic material, whether it be newspaper articles taken from the internet, songs, film segments, comics, advertisements or brochures of all kinds. If possible, I invite native speakers to give lectures in Italian. Reinforcement of new vocabulary and structures is practiced within meaningful situations. This helps students achieve their communication goals by connecting some theoretical knowledge of the language with its practical usage. Coordination of all these activities requires careful planning and very organized lesson plans.

The use of technology integrated into instruction is also an essential part of my teaching. Technological resources provide ample opportunities for students to improve their oral and written skills from home, and enhance their oral presentations because students can combine narration with visual input. One of the computer programs that I use (Wimba) enables students to take oral exams in digital format, and thus allows for accurate grading of students’ performances.

To make the learning experience more valuable for my students, I work hard to motivate them by tuning into their likes and needs. Students are given many opportunities to choose research projects and activities that reflect their interests in the Italian culture. In my classes independence goes hand-in-hand with taking responsibility. Students are asked to prepare questions for their classmates to practice new vocabulary and structures. They are also responsible for initiating small debates and discussions.

In a broader sense, students need to be aware that they are part of a larger community to which they can make a significant contribution by learning and sharing their knowledge with each other.