Alyssa "Señorita" Katz
Machu Picchu, Peru July 2007
¡Hola! My name is Alyssa Katz and I teach 7th and 8th grade Spanish at Lawrence Middle School. I began teaching at LMS January 2008 and I have enjoyed all of my experiences here tremendously. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, in and around Bucks County, however I currently live in New Jersey.
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Communication from Ithaca College in 2001, where I also minored in Spanish. After deciding that a career in corporate America was not for me, I chose to go back to school for a degree in teaching. I graduated from Holy Family University in 2006 with my teaching certification in PA and a Master's degree in Secondary Education.
Both the Spanish language and culture have played a vital role in my life since my freshman year in high school. Spending time living with a family in Managua, Nicaragua during my senior year truly solidified my interest in continuing to take courses throughout all four years of college. Thanks to a Fulbright scholarship, I had the opportunity to spend the month of July, 2007 in Peru, experiencing the culture and learning about the Peruvian educational system. In July 2008 I participated in a Mission trip to El Salvador. One week of my summer in 2008 was spent working with children and helping to build a library in a very poor village called Las Delicias. In June of 2011, I traveled to the Dominican Republic for a wedding. A day trip to the capital, Santo Domingo, proved to be an outstanding learning opportunity, providing a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the rich history and culture of the country.
Most recently I spent a week volunteering in Honduras with an organization called Students Helping Honduras. Living and working in the community of Villa Soleada provided me with the opportunity to help build schools in one of the poorest areas of Honduras.
Click HERE to see pictures and read more about my trips!
I feel so fortunate to have had opportunities such as these, and I am confident that these experiences have enhanced my Spanish proficiency and also helped to develop my skills as an educator, as I introduce many cultural aspects into the Spanish curriculum.
Although I am not a native Spanish speaker, I have spent significant time in Spanish speaking countries and use Spanish on a daily basis. My teaching techniques include a “full immersion” into the Spanish language. This means that I typically speak only Spanish in class with very little English. I believe this is the most effective way for non-native speakers to learn the language and this method benefits the students in many ways, specifically to enhance their ability to understand spoken and written Spanish. Students also have the opportunity to communicate with each other in Spanish through various activities and dialogue projects.
I am looking forward to a great year!
¡Muchas gracias por visitar!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
To learn more about me, click here to visit my Prezi.
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Communication from Ithaca College in 2001, where I also minored in Spanish. After deciding that a career in corporate America was not for me, I chose to go back to school for a degree in teaching. I graduated from Holy Family University in 2006 with my teaching certification in PA and a Master's degree in Secondary Education.
Both the Spanish language and culture have played a vital role in my life since my freshman year in high school. Spending time living with a family in Managua, Nicaragua during my senior year truly solidified my interest in continuing to take courses throughout all four years of college. Thanks to a Fulbright scholarship, I had the opportunity to spend the month of July, 2007 in Peru, experiencing the culture and learning about the Peruvian educational system. In July 2008 I participated in a Mission trip to El Salvador. One week of my summer in 2008 was spent working with children and helping to build a library in a very poor village called Las Delicias. In June of 2011, I traveled to the Dominican Republic for a wedding. A day trip to the capital, Santo Domingo, proved to be an outstanding learning opportunity, providing a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the rich history and culture of the country.
Most recently I spent a week volunteering in Honduras with an organization called Students Helping Honduras. Living and working in the community of Villa Soleada provided me with the opportunity to help build schools in one of the poorest areas of Honduras.
Click HERE to see pictures and read more about my trips!
I feel so fortunate to have had opportunities such as these, and I am confident that these experiences have enhanced my Spanish proficiency and also helped to develop my skills as an educator, as I introduce many cultural aspects into the Spanish curriculum.
Although I am not a native Spanish speaker, I have spent significant time in Spanish speaking countries and use Spanish on a daily basis. My teaching techniques include a “full immersion” into the Spanish language. This means that I typically speak only Spanish in class with very little English. I believe this is the most effective way for non-native speakers to learn the language and this method benefits the students in many ways, specifically to enhance their ability to understand spoken and written Spanish. Students also have the opportunity to communicate with each other in Spanish through various activities and dialogue projects.
I am looking forward to a great year!
¡Muchas gracias por visitar!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
To learn more about me, click here to visit my Prezi.