)(( hannah mello ))(

// Sono un’insegnante. // I am a teacher. //

I recall Laura Kmetovic and Joy Weston. ((4th Grade.))
The Ph.D. Professors Doctors: Dan Albrecht. Mike Stach. Mark Hulse. Steve Smallwood. ((College.))
My mom.
Teachers whose voices have dripped with the most inspiration and challenge have been individuals that are chosen life-long students. People who are compelled to grow holistically in both knowledge and the application of that knowledge-- intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, socially, etc.

I have found myself living out the vocation of a teacher-- aware of my green-ness and aching to be a corner of what teachers have been in my life.

I choose to start this post on my role as a teacher with some photos of me as a student in my Italian class.

I am a teacher because I am a student--
a student of people and language in general.
A student of who people are (past, present, future),
the way people live and
how they communicate.

For a year, I studied Italian for a year by way of experience-- in-my-face tyranny of the urgent... reading signage, communicating with my boyfriend (who also spoke English of course) and for two years now, I have been consistently learning how to teach by way of hands-on-experience. Here are some snapshots from the last two years of LOVING people and learning how to best challenge them and lead them down the path towards growth as communicators. (It's funny cause I'm LITERALLY playing hookie on my Italian class this very moment as I write this! :) I have a lot going on today and am skipping class for a breather. Literally. Bad example. :)...)












My Italian Class: British Louise, Brazilian Derli, me, Italian teacher Stefania, Chinese Ann, British Ben, Swedish Aosa.


















One of my 3 Italian books with margin notes.

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My 2 groups of Pharmacists. Gorgeous Individuals with whom I had the most fun. I taught them medical English chiefly...
















(i'm in this one)























14 year old Alessandro.

























45 year old Francesco.


















9/10 year old Stefania, Samuele, Elisa, and Sara


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A SECTION DEDICATED to:
Maria Vittoria, 83.




















I went to Maria Vittoria's house for Saturday tea.
She is 83. A woman of World War II.
A daughter of an alcohol & perfume factory owner.
Ballet dancer. Painter. Mosaic-maker. Athlete extraordinaire (tennis, skiing, mountain climbing-- all).
Ballet teacher. Mother to one daughter. Grandmother to two.
She is writing her life stories for our twice-a-week hour lessons that she says are to help keep her mentally active.
Here are photos from her photo albums and moments from my experience with her.









































































































































































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(below, a sign from outside a Cambridge, England train window)






































11 year old boys (who I teach in a home): Fillippo, Alessandro, Niccolo and Francesco.

















I drive this road that, this day, was sundusted, to Bomporto or Soliera.


















35 year old Stefano, financial manager of Dinamic Oil.

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MOMENTS WITH THE STAFF
our Christmas party. over pizza dinner.

















Secretary Trini, Co-Owner Magda, Secretary Vilma.























Boss Simonini, housemate and co-teacher Sofia.




















Sofia's student and friend Stefano.

















My students and friends Simone and Alberto.


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MOMENTS in general
in the school.

















Textbook and Cds for teaching with a little Italian pick-me-up snack.


















Secretary Trini and me.





















The school halls and rooms I know very well.











































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REMEMBERING the START.
looking back at Year 1 in Naples.














This poster was aside a Modena bike path. I stopped and photoed it to remember my Napoli-- my heart. My city so soulful and missed.


































In a state school...


















Gabriella, 53.


















Anna, 53.






















Barbara Cimmino, 24.






















Father (and engineer) Adolfo Cimmino, 53.















































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The chapters of teaching will be gracefully closed in a manner of months as I transition to being a vocational student yet again. However, I will continue to be a student of people--and will even continue learning how to be a teacher-- a voice that, among other things, asks questions and insigates exploration.

Ah... The lessons continue... :)

posted by )(( hannah mello ))( @ 8:58 AM