Ciao! I teach Italian classes to kids of all ages. For the younger ones, the focus is on oral language. Each lesson has a theme, like "Pizza", and we learn names of all things related to the theme, how to describe and categorize things, counting syllables of related words, critical thinking games like "odd one out", and finally we play a game with the newly learned vocabulary.  I also teach Italian grammar and culture classes for older learners. 

I am an Italianista. That is someone who is passionate about the Italian language and culture and studies it deeply. My passion began in college when I lived in Bologna for a year. Then I graduated with a BA and an MA in Italian. I also got my teaching credential in multiple subjects and in Italian. I taught in an Italian immersion school for five years. I have also taught reading, writing, and math as an elementary school teacher for a total of 12 years of teaching. 

My philosophy of teaching is "learn by doing". For learning Italian, this means speaking! My classes are interactive and engaging. Learners feel safe and confident about speaking in Italian. My classes also follow the same routine each time so that learners know what to expect and feel safe.

A fun fact about me is that I love making pane pugliese! This is amazing Italian bread from Puglia.