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For Practicing Teachers of Spanish
Alumni Profile
Melissa Barra
Middle School Spanish Teacher
Charles E. Brown Middle School
"SIT taught me to believe in myself, to take risks, and to continually strive for personal and professional growth."
Why did you choose SIT for your graduate program?
As a practicing teacher I wanted to enroll in a program that would truly help me become better at my work. I was not interested in a course of study that would entail more of the same impractical, theory-based curriculum that I had gone through as an undergraduate. A colleague of mine who was halfway through with her summer program at SIT told me how different SIT was. I learned that there was an emphasis on connecting theory to practice, learning from our experiences as seasoned teachers, and improving oneself personally and professionally. SIT’s philosophy and methods were a true fit with my goals and needs.
How was your education at SIT different from your previous educational experience?
My previous educational experiences were very different from my education at SIT. As an undergraduate most of the education classes I took were and were of little use in the day-to-day workings of a classroom. At SIT my classes connected theory to practice and much of the curriculum was focused on learning how to reflect objectively on my experience in the classroom to become a better teacher.
What was your most meaningful experience while at SIT?
The most meaningful part of my SIT experience was my Interim Year Teaching Practicum (IYTP). During the school year between my two summers at SIT one of my professors, Pat Moran, came to my school to observe me teaching. After each observation he would conference with me and help me to reflect on my teaching. His observations were not for evaluation purposes, but rather to help me learn how to become a reflective practitioner. By learning to reflect on my teaching in an objective way I was able to improve upon it in ways that were not possible before this experience. The IYTP was the most powerful and influential experience of my teaching career thus far. I achieved so many personal and professional goals in the year following my IYTP thanks to Pat and his commitment to me and my education.
How did your education at SIT prepare you for your current job? (Or, how do you think it prepared you for your next job?)
Although I had already taken both Spanish and education classes as an undergraduate, SIT helped me to see both in a new light. At SIT the focus on intercultural understanding was something that I had not experienced as an undergraduate, but it brought a new focus to my classroom. I now know how to better teach about culture in my classroom and feel more comfortable doing so. In addition, SIT taught me how to be a reflective teacher who can look objectively at her experiences and use them to improve her teaching. This skill was key in being able to identify areas of my teaching that needed improvement and problem solve to find solutions rather than becoming mired in emotions and feeling unable to create change in my classroom.
How did your on-campus learning – through combined coursework, teaching practicum, and interaction with faculty and students – inform how you went about selecting your independent professional project or portfolio topic?
My Independent Professional Project (IPP) deals with teaching students «non-textbook» language. Through my interaction with faculty and students from a range of Spanish- speaking countries I began to realize more than ever that much of the language we use to communicate is colloquial, slang, electronic, or simply not contained in the general scope of most language courses in which my students would be enrolled. Believing that these kinds of «informal language» are important I chose to create lessons on these topics and work on them with my students.
Part of what helped me to choose this topic was the fact that I had professors and classmates who were both teachers and native speakers of Spanish. All of them were more than willing to help me in my project and agreed to participate in interviews that I conducted as part of my research. At SIT there is a common feeling of kinship and a global willingness on the part of students and faculty to help one another. Through the help and guidance of those friends, colleagues, and professors my IPP turned out to be informative, rich in material, and a success with my students.
In what way did the cumulative experience result in personal and professional growth that is reflected in your current life?
Before attending SIT I saw teaching and learning in a very narrow way. Through my time at SIT I learned to open my mind and heart to new possibilities for me and my students. My professors taught me to take risks by setting goals and going for them. Without this push to face my fears I would still be the same teacher, who while not ineffective, was certainly not living up to her potential. I now know how to deal with the aspects of the profession, and the work itself, which were problematic for me. I no longer see any problem as insurmountable, as I now have the confidence in my own ability to find viable solutions.
If you had one thing to say about why a prospective student should choose SIT, what would it be?
In two summers I learned lessons from the faculty and students at SIT that I will carry with me for life. SIT taught me to believe in myself, to take risks, and to continually strive for personal and professional growth. For all of these things I am truly grateful. My decision to attend SIT changed me and my teaching in a profound and lasting way.