Who is this Prof. Jones, anyway?

Well, I like open-water swimming.

(Texas, USA)

 I love to hike and travel.
(Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala)
 

And I really love to run!
(Santiago, Chile)
 

There are 2 main things you really need to know about me, professionally speaking:

1. I have been teaching online Spanish for 20 years--in fact, I developed Santa Fe College's online Spanish program. Back in 2006, when I started, it was one course with 12 people. Now, over 150 students take online Spanish every semester at SFC.

What this means for you: you can trust that I know what I'm doing, and that if I ask you to do something, there's a good reason for it. I'm not going to waste your time.

About my FGC teaching: I was recruited from Santa Fe in 2019 to teach in the Second Chance Pell program that FGC oversees  at Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City. FGC invited me back to teach online Spanish to non-incarcerated students in Fall 2019, and I've been here ever since. This semester, I am piloting accelerated Spanish 1 and 2 courses here, and I'll be doing my prison teaching again this summer.

I was a reviewer on the most recent edition of our textbook (if you go to the front matter, you'll see my name there), and I did what I could to make it better, with mixed success.

2. I lived in Spain as a teenager, and Argentina and Chile as an adult (total time living abroad=4.5 years).

What this means for you:

a. I am fully bilingual (and have been since I was 16 years old, which is a long time, considering I'm 55 years old). I have no "gringo" accent when I speak--I sound like I'm from Uruguay/Argentina or Chile (depending on the person to whom I'm speaking, and how formal the situation is).

b. "The culture of Spanish-speaking countries" isn't something I've just read about in books. It's part of my lived experience, and I value it highly.

c. If I can do it, you can do it. Even if you are a non-native speaker of Spanish, you can still acquire native-level proficiency in the language--provided you are willing to put in the time, care, and effort.

Online Spanish 1 can be challenging, but I want you to know that you can depend on me.

To that end, I promise you that:

• This class will be run in an organized, logical way.
• Due dates won't suddenly change and for-credit assignments won't be added at the last minute--in short, I will not do any random things that don't make sense. All our due dates are in the syllabus, and they will be adhered to.
• If you email me, you'll get a response within 24 hours, and usually sooner (unless its a weekend, and then you'll hear back from me on Monday afternoon).
• If I tell you that I will do something, it will be done.

In closing, while my courses are about Spanish—not about me—I believe it’s important for you to know that I’m a real person, too.
I love to travel, cook, hike, and swim. In my 30s and 40s, I was a competitive runner and triathlete.
I’m also autistic and have ADHD. I share this openly because there’s nothing shameful about being neurodivergent.

I’ve faced other trials as well. Just before my 45th birthday (August 2015), I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. I’m fortunate to currently be NED (no evidence of disease) and hope to stay that way for a long time.

My life has been a mix of incredible experiences and daunting (and frightening!) challenges. I hope this inspires you to approach your studies—and life—with resilience and determination.

SUPing in L.A. (that's where I'm from)

Diving in Belize

Winning in Texas

(my first tri since cancer, y'all!)