I teach Italian Language and Culture –levels I through Advanced Placement- at Naples Middle High School, a Department of Defense Dependents School situated in Naples, Italy.
In my thirty-year career, I have built a strong educational program that emphasizes the appreciation of the language and the culture of the host nation country. I organize study trips to local sites, cultural exchanges with Italian schools, concerts, cultural events on a regular basis and sponsor a National Italian Honor Society at my school. I like to teach new, updated lessons that involve language activities and interactive exercises: for this reason, I use a large variety of technological tools and design original lesson plans that elicit class discussions. Also, I like to create and use language games on digital platforms.
I have a master’s degree in Modern Foreign Languages and Literature, with emphasis in English Language from the University of Naples Federico II and a certification in Didattica dell’Italiano come Lingua Straniera from the University of Siena. I also earned several certificates in the teaching of foreign languages and participated in many professional workshops focusing on successful didactic techniques. I am a member of AATI (American Association of Teachers of Italian), have been a member of the Advanced Placement Exam Planning Committee and have been a reader at the AP Italian reading for five years (2015-2019). I have presented at local and international professional development workshops on a regular basis for many years.
