Bilingual Stars

I am an energetic, creative, published, professional language educator with over a decade of experience in my field. I have experience working in the U.S and abroad with all types of students in rural and urban communities. I am dedicated to educating my students on all aspects of Spanish language and culture and enjoy sharing my passion for language and culture for the Spanish-speaking world with my students. I have nearly twenty years of experience teaching Spanish language at the preschool, elementary, middle and high school levels and have also taught English language to native Spanish speakers at the Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Mexico. I hold a Master’s Degree in Teaching and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Latin American Studies. I am fluent in Spanish, have conversational fluency in Mandarin Chinese and have ample experience with Spanish language, literature, film, art, culture and many facets of the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world. In addition to teaching Spanish language courses, I have arranged and led trips for my students and others to the U.S. Southwest, Peru, Mexico and El Salvador. I have lived, studied and worked abroad in both Mexico and Peru. I have done extensive volunteer work in Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Peru. I enjoy technology greatly as a teaching tool, and have made it a priority in my classroom. My students throughout the years have had electronic pen-pals in Spanish –speaking nations, have kept digital voice recorded journals, have presented power point presentations, planned international trips, gone on virtual field trips, created digital albums and storybooks, and even written and recorded plays, original songs and poetry in the target language using blogs, podcasts and the internet. Specialties: •Spanish language education •English as a Second Language •Latin American History •History of Hispanidad in the U.S. •Gifted Education •Educational Consulting •Classroom management •International Field Trips and Volunteer/Service Work

TPRS/CI, immersive, interactive, collaborative, student-centered, global approach and world view

2015-Medical Service trip to rural Guatemala- invited as translator for medical team 2003- Christian Brothers Fellowship to study in Peru 2010-CASLS Publication Publications: Foreign Language Games(Link) Center of Applied Second Language Studies Journal October 2010 This publication gives helps teachers develop new and exciting ways to engage their students through hand on language learning activities. Languages and Learners: Making the Match 5th Edition Contributing author How We Handle It: Hundreds of Ideas from Classroom Teachers Contributing author

Master's Degree in Education- Aurora University, IL Bachelor's Degree in History and Latin American studies- College of the Holy Cross- Worcester, MA Additional classes taken at Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico and Emmaunuel College, Boston, MA.

Avid traveler in Central and South America. Medical and other types of service trip leader in Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. International living and working experience. Avid yogi and runner. Life-long learner.