​

My goals for my students are that they learn at least one thing in class that can be useful for them in their lives, that they find something personal that connects them to the subject, so they can come to class motivated, and, more importantly, that they want to keep learning once the semester is over. In my experience at the head of Spanish classes, my biggest success is when students tell me they want to pursue a minor or a major in Spanish, or when they say they want to travel to a Hispanic country, or keep taking Spanish literature and cultural classes, or when, inspired by something they did in class, they decide to go to a bookstore and buy a book about a Spanish-language writer.

 

In order to achieve those goals I have my own methods. I am the biggest learner in each course, so the first thing I do is to get to know my students. Each class is different, even if the subject is the same. Each student is different too. So my first classes are the key to develop the strategy of the semester. The first day of class I introduce myself to my students showing them my life resumé more than my academic CV. I prepare a fun presentation with pictures where I am not ashamed to present my vulnerabilities. I tell them about my passion for traveling, for reading, for culture, and for languages. I explain to them my difficulties learning English, and I tell them a couple of funny anecdotes about my problems to pronounce the word “sheet” (with a long i:). I explain to them the challenges of being a native from Spain living in a foreign country such as the US. Then, I use a few ice-breakers so they introduce themselves to the rest of the class and they share their interests, expectations, goals, and fears. That helps me to decide what approach to use for each specific student. Last year, in my Introduction to Hispanic Literature class, I decided to change the chronological order of the readings in the syllabus and I started the semester showing a movie about Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. An optional assignment during that course was to participate in a blog, where students could freely write about each class, make associations with their own studies and personal experiences, and express their opinions. Reading the blog I realize they were truly making thoughtful connections and thinking critically. I felt touched when a girl, who did not know who Gabriel García Márquez was, wrote in her blog that the same day she saw the movie she felt so moved she went to the library to get his most representative book, A Hundred Years of Solitude.

 

Learning happens continuously and progressively, so I try to use a variety of assessments to reflect how different learners achieve knowledge. Personally, I dislike multiple choice tests in the humanities field, although in some classes I use them with fun interactive tools such as kahoot or quizzlet to give points and take attendance at the same time. I also think tests and final exams make most of my students nervous and do not evaluate their actual learning. Instead, I prefer project-oriented assessments, where students apply what they have learned in a more practical way. In my Foundational Texts of Spain class, my students had difficulties connecting with medieval and Renaissance writings in old Castilian language, so to make it real we created facebook pages were each student (including myself) chose a fictional character or a writer from that period. We were all connected and posting pictures and status related to “our” lives and books as if we were them. The messages among students and the cleverness of some comments made me realize they were not only reading the materials, but also understanding them at a deeper level. This is also a project that works very well in online courses. The class I mentioned was a hybrid course, so Facebook and blog writing kept students in touch with their classmates even though we had very limited in-person meetings. For my online courses I make myself very approachable, even through text messaging, and I am both extra quick in grading and detailed in giving them feedback. In person I do the same, but I try to make them come at least once to my office hours in order to give them personal feedback and make them comfortable talking to me whenever they need to. Clear explanations, good calendar organization, detailed rubrics, room for creativity, and some flexibility when needed, are the pillars of my assessments. Everything else changes depending on the class and the student. Some students with disabilities need more time, and some prefer to work individually. When I introduce new technologies or group work I make sure everybody feels comfortable, and I always use alternative assessments to get points in different ways. A few of my students last semester decided to do the classical final exam instead of the 15 required blog entries, and that was fine with me.

 

I have experience in all kinds of courses with a diverse population of students, from lower division, to upper division, in-person, hybrid, on-line, tutoring, study abroad, college, high school, and substitute teaching. Challenges and anecdotes could fill a book, but my greatest rewards are the accomplishments my students have made over the years. Many get back to me to tell me they got a double major in their studies and in Spanish, or they visited Madrid, my city, and they brought me a souvenir of my favorite soccer team, or they volunteered in a Hispanic country, or they just pass by me on campus and greet me in Spanish. Many request recommendation letters to study in a foreign country and others become Spanish teachers. I keep researching and learning so I can better serve them. After finishing my master’s and working in a college preparatory, I felt I needed to go back to get my PhD because I wanted to get deeper literary knowledge and acquire new skills using more digital tools (something I always add to my courses to improve engagement), so I could apply it to a broader number of courses in higher education. I have never regretted my idea and, as a doctor, I cannot wait to implement new methods and to face new challenges. I might not remember every single student by memory, but I cannot forget the emotion I get when I see them succeed. I am committed to education because I love to see them growing and learning, and because that makes me learn and grow each day.