Experience Summary
I began learning Spanish in the 4th grade at an excellent public school in Ohio. I became fast friends with a foreign exchange student from Nicaragua, whose limited English proficiency was my greatest opportunity to learn Spanish. In my junior year at Otterbein College I traveled to Segovia, Spain and studied at the University of Segovia for two semesters. Since that time I have taught ESL and Spanish to hundreds of students. I have traveled extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean, and am familiar with idiomatic expressions and local customs throughout the Hispanic community.
Teaching Style
I have had the great pleasure of teaching students from diverse backgrounds and demographics - from senior citizens to very young home-schoolers; wealthy retirees preparing for vacation to college students living on a shoe-string budget; college graduates wanting to improve their language skills to academically challenged youth needing help to pass a class. Each challenge brings me the joy of opening up a new world of experiences - much like teaching a child to read. Once the light is turned on, the learning spreads like wildfire. I incorporate light literature and music in my classes to keep things interesting and current. Many of my students have contacted me years later with stories of how it has changed their lives.