Hello world! Reflections of a retired teacher

Ciao Tutti, My resolution for the New Year is to write a blog at least once every week on teaching Italian and how it relates to me regarding how to live a good life. I taught Italian at the high school level for 37 years. Now, after festively celebrating my retirement, I find myself wanting to reflect on what teaching Italian has meant to me. During the last year of teaching, my students would often encourage me to write a book about my thoughts on life through the lens of Italian language, literature and culture. And so when one of my students wrote me an email stating that she started a Blog for me in order to help me write down my thoughts, I decided that I would give it a try. I would like to thank Liliana for her inspirational words to me and for setting up a blog for me. As I taught my Italian curriculum for the last time this past school year, it clearly and emphatically dawned on me that the theme of “Hope” ( Speranza) was repeated over and over again in my didactic units of the study of Italian language and its culture. So, today I would like to dedicate this writing to my family and my former students of Italian at Lyons Township High School who made that word come alive in my teaching and in my own personal life. “We are a people of hope, since God has won the definitive battle against evil, Satan and sin through Jesus’death on the cross. “ (Alan Schreck) Signora Dorina

 Today I would like to express that the most important characteristic of Italian Cuisine is ”Freschezza” ( freshness). Italians love to eat food that has just been prepared. Therefore, it must be fresh and immediately served without preservatives. For this reason, Italian food is simple in the sense that it does not have to have many ingredients or a complex preparation. I have vivid memories of eating various foods in Italy for the first time that conjure up in my mind amazing fragrances and tastes. I will never forget the first time I ate an “Insalata Caprese” in Naples. The fresh tomatoes and mozzarella were sublime! So, today after many, many years of preparing food for my family, the most important aspect of my meals for my family is “Freschezza”! Using this rule I have made my family happy and most importantly, healthy! Buona Giornata! Alla Prossima! Dorina