My Philosophy
An impactful language class will always go beyond right and wrong answers. I believe that allowing students to show up as their most authentic selves enriches the classroom in ways I will not achieve all on my own, and if we are all able to voice our goals, dreams and challenges, we can all work together to achieve much more than just a final grade.
The time to swim is never the time to learn is my motto, which makes preparation and prevention key cornerstones to my teaching, I find joy in informing my students on much more than just what is provided to us both by whichever program and curriculum brings us together, but I ensure to communicate expectations, to be a helpful resource on their curiosities, to provide guidance that is culturally responsive and according to the realities they face on the daily.
As part of my effort to bring my own culture and those I represent into the classroom, I am never afraid to be honest with my students in relation to my own language learning journey, and foster a dynamic in which I can share personal experiences with the clarity to provide a new perspective from a different angle: as one of the very few Afro-Caribbean instructors in my field, sharing the stories, vernacular, culture and identity of those countries in the Caribbean has become a lost art, and opening the door to these not-so-easily-found cultures of the Spanish-Speaking world is one of the highlights of the work I do. I believe that the Caribbean spirit can uplift, enchant, and fill with joy those who are able to experience it, bringing love and happiness to every corner of our life experience, and I feel honored to be a beacon of that light.
Once my students have left the classroom, I hope to have achieved opening their minds to new ways of looking at the world and engaging with others, to see the complexity of the world and create autonomous learners who can take the tools provided to forge a better future in the world and continue a learning as autonomous and personalized as they wish. This can be achieved by welcoming students to a classroom that isn’t mine, but ours, where they can learn topics and find solutions to what matters most to them and their language goals; a classroom that feels comfortable pointing out when I get tongue twisted in my second language, asking those ‘maybe this is too weird’ questions, and where students feel comfortable approaching me individually and sharing their learning and what they have been passionate about, as well as share their frustrations, challenges and confusions to find support and encouragement is a successful class.
Nothing feels like a better practice than taking the dedicated time of being in the opposite side of the whiteboard when I teach and continue to be connected to the learning experience from all angles; it keeps me humble and honored to be allowed so much trust from my students, but to ensure that I am able to be a more active part of the student conversation and see first-hand the struggles of the students of today, which educates my teaching practice in every single step of the process. It is essential to my role as a supportive instructor that I can always understand some degree of where my students come from, and as a current Master’s student, attending to events around campus that allow me to understand the lived experiences of my students, as well as their struggles, fears, concerns and motivations has made me feel more confident in my interactions with students and my ability to serve them with respect, understanding, kindness and fairness.
Listening to my students’ feedback and responding accordingly to their needs allows me to thrive and be able to put my knowledge to the service of students and their betterment, and in a world that continues to be hostile, difficult to navigate, and ever changing, I will always work tirelessly to bring flexibility, understanding, clear communication and expectations, as well as empathy, and be a safe space for my most vulnerable students.