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 at Santa Fe College for 17 years--in fact, I am the person who developed SFC's online Spanish program. Back in 2006, when I started, it was one course with 12 people. Now, over 100 students take online Spanish every semester at Santa Fe.

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 an amateur, and I'm not going to waste your time.

An interesting tidbit: I am quite familiar with your textbook (Tu Mundo), because I've been teaching with it for a while at FGC! I first used it when I taught at Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City in Spring 2019 as part of the Second Chance Pell program that FGC oversees. They were wonderful students, by the way (if you've ever considered prison teaching, please do it--it's an incredible experience!). I was then invited back to teach online Spanish at FGC in Fall 2019, and they liked me so much that I've been with them ever since!

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

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 turn 53 on August 27 of this year). 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, love 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 something goes wrong with technology or anything else, I will work to resolve the situation as quickly as humanly possible. I am your absolute ally in this regard.
• It won't take forever for me to get graded work back to you. It will always take a week or less.
• 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).
• If I tell you that I will do something, it will be done.
• I am always here to help you. I want to help you.  But you, as an adult, are responsible for asking me for that help. All you have to do is ask.

In closing, my belief is that any course I teach is about Spanish, not about me.

But I know it's good for my students to realize that I am, in fact, a real person.

Who am I? I am a marathoner, a triathelte, a scuba diver, a live music fan, and a world traveler.
I'm also someone who got diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer at the beginning of the Fall 2015 semester. I was 44 years old. It's hard to believe 8 years have passed since that terrible time.

Here's the important thing about that cancer bit: the only day of work I missed that semester was the day of my surgery--I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, an operation that takes over 8 hours. Otherwise, I was with my students every workday, doing my job. You can expect the same thing from me this semster: I'll be with you each weekday from now on, no matter what happens. It's just who I am, and how I am.

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

Diving in Belize

Winning in Texas

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