Professional Portfolio

My philosophy of Teaching

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. One requirement that I always state in my syllabus is to have “ganas” (desire) to learn. I believe that nothing can be achieved in life if there is not desire. My philosophy of teaching is also based on my own language learning experience as an adult. I like to share with my students some of personal anecdotal stories of my struggles and accomplishments as a second language learner. In the process of learning English, I acquired a new culture and made life adjustments. In addition, I like to share with my students some effective learning methods and ways to study and learn a new language.

Over the years, I have implemented a student-centered learning environment. Learning in my classroom occurs within cooperative and collaborative group work. I have found this strategy completely effective and positive to reaffirm and develop strong student-to-student and instructor-to-students relationships. By establishing an honest and sincere communication in my classrooms, I have also been able to create a positive and enjoyable environment for my students, which motivates them to participate actively in activities.

The affective, psychomotor and cognitive activities allow students to interact with their classmates and practice their reading, speaking, writing and listening Spanish language skills. I often move seats around so dialogue and eye contact are easier. I also monitor their attention with lots of reinforcement activities; calculate the time-on-task and use a variety of assessments.

The strategies that I implement and modify in my class are a result of my reflective teaching and interest in life-long learning. I am continuously preparing myself professionally by attending educational conferences and taking education courses that will help me integrate technology in my classroom. I believe that technological tools can foster students’ learning. Therefore, I design assignments that require students to use technology such as power point presentation on specific cultural topics, and the Internet to conduct research.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of my philosophy is sharing the cultural aspect of the language with my students. The Hispanic culture is enormously rich in traditions, fables, stories and history. I am always delighted to share my customs, my traditions and also my two dialects that I learned from my mother’s fist language Aymara and my father first language Quechua (lingua of Incas). To make my instruction on cultural topics more lively and enjoyable, I wear my native costume from Bolivia, bring folkloric videos, music from the Andes, and several pictures and collages from my country.

In short, my goals in teaching Spanish are best achieved by creating an active learning environment. Lessons are based on dialogue and discussion rather than long lectures and instructor directed learning. My assignments are more reflective and analytical rather than narrative. I want to connect language and cultural content concepts to students’ life experiences in order to maintain their interest in the subject. Students are much more likely to engage in a subject if they believe the topic is important to them. Additionally, students will better internalize a subject if they become involved in it.

Today’s classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse in socioeconomic, academic, disability and ethnic backgrounds. Providing connection and identity with Spanish becomes a challenging task to achieve with such a diverse group of students. However, part of my responsibility as an instructor is to design activities that address the diverse abilities and needs of students. My classroom discussions always enhance the contributions of students who may be more confident and skillful with speaking or thinking aloud. Short journal assignments, on the other hand, facilitate the quieter students to sort out their thoughts before class and provide a platform for those who express themselves best in writing. Although, assessment are set on a standard point scale, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge in the medium for which they are strongest, such as, oral presentation, writing assignment, or dramatic role-playing.

One of my primary goals of teaching is to help students build a solid foundation in the language learning process as well help them develop free-thinking critical skills, and demonstrate to them that with “ganas” si se puede.

Back to Professional Portfolio