Calling to Teach
Educational Mission, Active Research Agenda & Core Values
Professor Emeritus and Founder of Teletandem Brasil
Universidade Estadual Paulista - Assis, 2010
VCU, Fall 2019
Calling to Teach
My academic journey followed a non-traditional path that allowed me to explore Spanish and Latin American culture and civilization profoundly. However, my calling to teach arose from my passion for the Spanish and Portuguese languages. I attribute my success as a language learner to being connected to local and global communities of native speakers and accessing media content in the target language. For this reason, I integrate technology, media, and immersion activities into my teaching. I routinely collaborate with TESOL and EFL teachers and students in Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Brazil, and other countries to bring authentic immersion activities to the classroom through virtual language exchanges and cooperative teaching partnerships.
Active Research Agenda
My research in the area of international online language exchanges began with my doctoral dissertation. I sought to identify problems in the language curriculum and find solutions through action research inquiry, instructional design, and implementation. Quality immersion opportunities were lacking in the language curriculum, so I began searching for ways to connect my students to native speakers with similar language goals and proficiencies in ESL/EFL. We use action research methods to observe and analyze the practice of international virtual language exchanges with English and EFL teachers from schools abroad. Most of my projects involve class-to-class and peer-to-peer pairings for language immersion activities. My partners and I jointly coordinate and design each exchange, collaboratively evaluate outcomes, and continuously make recommendations to improve the product. Having an active research agenda informing my pedagogy and practice is vital to improving as a teacher.
Educational Mission
A well-rounded liberal arts education, delivered by a talented and inspired faculty, not only empowers students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners, but also equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in their chosen fields. My mission is to provide a quality curriculum that motivates students to take ownership of their learning and cultivate a thirst for lifelong intellectual enrichment.
Core Values for Education
For me, education is as much about living and interacting with the world as it is about teaching and learning.
My core values for education are:
- Dedication: Give maximum effort and strive for excellence.
- Excellence: Perform to the highest standards.
- Professionalism: Work diligently, show good judgment, and represent the institution honorably.
- Inclusiveness: Value every stakeholder and be respectful to all.
- Integrity: Be authentic, sincere, and non-judgmental.
- Humility: Listen more, talk less, and lead by example.
- Gratitude: Be thankful and show it.