World Language Cafe

* High School French and Spanish Teacher for 9 years; dual certification in Massachusetts and New York

* Designed and created my own curriculum to teach kids ages, 3-7, in my home

* Taught elementary students and adults in community centers and at after-school programs

* Currently home with my kids and raising them bilingually (definitely challenging at times, but worth it)

Working with all different types of students from PreK-HS seniors, from urban and suburban backgrounds, and from challenging students to high achievers has taught me that kids are kids.

No matter what their background or where they’re from, deep down all they really want is to know that you care about them.

* I am a firm believer in active learning. The more hands-on and exciting the lessons, the more the students get involved, and the more language they learn.

* I immerse my students in the target language and expect them to use it consistently in class. It’s amazing to see how they rise to high expectations. By the end of the school year, they feel comfortable communicating in the language, not only with me, but also with their peers.

* To me, each class is a big family – we take care of each other and help one another succeed.

* 1 of 16 teachers selected from across the U.S. for a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to travel and study in Mexico for a month

* Top 100 High School Seller on TeachersPayTeachers.com

* Top 1000 Seller Worldwide on TeachersPayTeachers.com

* Have sold over 10,000 resources to teachers across the globe

Shining Teaching Moment:

* Getting a girl with severe disabilities who spoke only a few words and rarely smiled, to laugh and sing a song with me

* Wellesley College – B.A. French, minor in Education, semester in Paris, studying at Jussieu and with NYU program

* Harvard University – Continuing Education class in Spanish

* Middlebury College – M.A. Spanish

Raising my two kids bilingually has perhaps given me the best opportunity to learn and grow as a teacher. Watching the natural language learning process first-hand is incredible!

Kids don’t study flashcards or conjugate verbs when they’re learning their native language; they are immersed in the language and use it to communicate their needs, wants, and feelings.

The resources that I create reflect this native language learning style, but are adapted to the constraints of a regular classroom setting.

* I LOVE all outdoor activities (hiking, biking, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, etc.).

* Selected as a First Team All-American Field Hockey player in college and my #16 seed team defeated the #1 seed to go on to play in the Final Four. Very exciting!

* I’m secretly a big goofball and love being the center of attention and making people laugh.

* My graduate school nickname was “Buscapalabras” (She who looks up words), because I had taken only 8 classes of beginner to intermediate Spanish before jumping into a Masters’ program in grad school. Carried an enormous dictionary around with me all the time and constantly looked up words.

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~Sherry Sebesta

Quote box and header designs done by A Little Piece of Africa. www.facebook.com/A-Little-Piece-of-Africa.