Romance Studies Recognizes Outstanding TFs
The Romance Studies Department is pleased to recognize four of our teaching fellows for outstanding work during the 2022-2023 academic year!
French
Eleonora Mancuso
In her first year teaching in RS, Eleonora was a dynamic member of the French language teaching faculty and her effort and service to the department and her students was exemplary. In LF111, she displayed superior attention to the course architecture and materials and was proactive in discussions about revising course assessments. She never failed to seek advice and guidance when needed and likewise made significant strides in her teaching, showing great promise as an instructor of French. Her participation in the “Devenir non-binaire” reading group showed her dedication to inclusive pedagogy and DEI initiatives both in the department and on campus. We look forward to collaborating with Eleonora in the future as she continues teaching in the department.
Beth Woods
Beth made a first-rate contribution to our program. She teaches with dedication, poise, and finesse, and she establishes a very professional and productive relationship with her students. Beth strikes a perfect balance between maintaining conformity with the general pattern of the program and injecting her own personal style and technique into her work. In addition to her teaching, she participated in the “Devenir non-binaire” reading group showing her dedication to inclusive pedagogy and DEI initiatives. We look forward to continuing to work with Beth next year as this is a thoroughly well-deserved award!
Spanish
Tijana Cupic
Tijana is an exceptional educator, as demonstrated by her impressive student evaluations, her collaborative efforts with fellow graduate students and staff, and her student-centered pedagogical approach. According to her LS 211 course coordinator, Tijana is a highly enthusiastic instructor who is comfortable facilitating discussions and has a proven track record of success in helping students communicate effectively using level-appropriate elicitation strategies. She skillfully guides conversations from the bottom up, setting clear expectations and modeling exemplary work. Tijana’s contributions to section meetings are also highly valued, as she offers sample activities, suggestions for improving assessments, and support for fellow instructors who are unable to attend. Tijana’s substantial contributions to the Geddes Mini Grant on tiered instruction have resulted in valuable resources that will hopefully aid future LS 211 instructors in creating more inclusive classes.
Jorge Sánchez
Jorge has demonstrated outstanding efforts as an instructor, garnering recognition for his remarkable achievements. His LS 111 course coordinator commended him for completely redesigning one of the course restaurant MiniProjects, which now includes a significant amount of intercultural comparison content, resulting in a positive impact on his class. During the observation of his class, Jorge’s students presented their projects on Latin American restaurants they had visited, along with the video recipes they had recorded in advance. His course coordinator was extremely impressed with what he accomplished with his group, and as a result, his innovative approach to presenting restaurant projects will likely be adopted moving forward. Jorge’s dedication and hard work should be formally recognized for the value he has added to the course. Jorge is a talented instructor and has an excellent rapport with his fellow instructors, his students, and the course coordinators who had the pleasure to work with him.