Meet Lorena: Teacher profile of the month

We go behind the scenes with Lorena, our humorous member of The Language Academy teaching team.

Read her interview below to find out what inspired her to start teaching, her hidden talent and what she wants her students to remember.

Name: Lorena Pirotta
Hometown: Milan, Italy. (Actually from the countryside; born and raised in Italy, but mother is from the Philippines)
Currently teaching: Italian and English

 

➱ LIFE AS A LANGUAGE TEACHER

🅠 Who or what inspired you to start teaching?

Ⓐ “My German teacher in high school. She made it look like fun. I always remember my teachers saying ‘oh Pirotta, you’re going to be a great teacher one day’, you know, when they saw me helping other students in class. They saw the future I guess [laughing].”

 

🅠 What prompted you to learn English?

Ⓐ “In Italy it was mandatory in primary school. After the equivalent of year 8 in Australia we have to choose career path; I chose languages. I did more English, and studied German and Russian.”

 

🅠 Why did you to move to the Gold Coast?

Ⓐ “My brothers have been living here for many years, eight, I think. So at the time, the choice was either Canada or here. Australia seemed a little bit easier. Even though I’m not really a beach person… or a hot weather person [laughing], so maybe Canada would have been better. But having my brothers here with me on the Gold Coast is great.”

 

🅠 What is your favourite thing about teaching?

Ⓐ “Making an impact. [Laughing] Is it too cliché if I say making an impact? It’s not just about them absorbing the information, but truly learning. I love seeing that they are doing something with what I have taught them.”

 

🅠 What do you find is the most challenging thing about teaching?

Ⓐ “[Laughing] It’s going to sound a little weird. But I think the most challenging thing is trying not to get frustrated. It’s not a frustration towards my students, but a frustration with myself.

When that happens, it means that I didn’t explain something in a way they could understand. Then I have to think ‘what is it that prevents me from making the message go through?’ It’s all about finding different ways to explain the same thing until we reach the understanding.”

 

🅠What is your teaching motto or philosophy?

Ⓐ “[Laughing] I should have gone home and Googled ‘great teaching motto’s’. I think: ‘communication is the key’. Yes because we teach languages, but also because in order to teach languages, you need to be able to really communicate.”

 

🅠 Describe a successful lesson. Tell us why it would be successful.

Ⓐ “Definitely the dream lesson is when you teach something, either grammatical or cultural and during the same lesson or later on – what you taught comes back to you.

For example if one week we were learning ‘present continuous’ and ‘present simple’, or you teach them particular vocabulary, and they use it the next week in perfect conversation… That’s a great lesson for me; having the proof that what you taught them is working.”

 

🅠 What is the next language that you want to learn, and why?

Ⓐ “Spanish or Portuguese, because everyone speaks Portuguese here on the Coast. No one speaks Russian [laughing], and only a few speak German. But I would also love to revise my German.”

 

➱ UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

🅠 Where have you travelled?

Ⓐ “Not much around Italy which is a shame; Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France (just the south, never seen Paris), Russia, Philippines, Indonesia and Canada.”

 

🅠 Do you have any hidden talents?

Ⓐ “Well I’m definitely not athletic [laughing], everyone knows this. I don’t know, does being particularly good at grammar count? [Laughing] well it’s not hidden… This might be cliché, but I’m very good at cooking at what we call first courses ‘pasta’ and ‘risotto’. And desserts.”

 

🅠 What is your favourite food?

Ⓐ “Gelato, in particular Stracciatella [vanilla with chocolate pieces].”

 

🅠 How would you describe yourself in three words?

Ⓐ “Bubbly, cynical, (not the judgemental cynical, though) and old on the inside [laughing]. I would love to stay on the couch with a blanket and a hot chocolate on a snowy winter’s day… I crochet too. I guess that’s my hidden talent! [laughing].”

 

🅠 If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?

Ⓐ “A dolphin, because they’re intelligent like me [laughing], I’m joking. I’ve just always been fascinated. Or if not a dolphin, a koala because they sleep and eat all day.”

 

🅠 Describe your perfect day. What would it look like?

Ⓐ “Waking up late, around 9 or 10 am, let’s say 10 am. Go out for a breakfast with a cappuccino and a cornetto (Italian for croissant), come to class, teach a little Italian or English, then go shopping and have a nice dinner outside.”

 

➱ LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

🅠 What is one thing you want your students to remember about you?

Ⓐ “How much fun they had in class. Hopefully they have fun [laughing].”

 

If you want to learn English, Italian, or one of the many other languages we offer here at The Language Academy, call us on (07) 5578 6838.

Get in quick – spaces are limited as we ensure small class sizes for the best learning outcomes!