MAFLT Portfolio
Edward Stanko
"To have another language is to possess a second soul."
-Charlemagne
About Me
Edward Stanko is a Spanish teacher at Patrick Henry High School (since 2011) in San Diego, CA--America's Finest City! He has been teaching since 2008, and started working with students in public schools as an AVID tutor in 2005.
Edward's experiences with language started in infancy when he would spend the day with his Spanish-speaking grandparents until he was four years old. He heard a lot of Spanish, and internalized it all. Growing up with not only the Spanish language, but also with traditions, music, and trips to visit family in Tijuana, Mexico, Edward had been preparing his entire childhood for his formal study of Spanish, beginning in the ninth grade.
Edward believes that all students can acquire a language, and that there is no one method that is the panacea for monolingualism--in the classroom students and their interests come first, content second. Students only begin their language journey in the classroom, but Edward firmly believes that it is the language teacher who shows students what they are capable of in and with their developing language skills.
About My Portfolio
Welcome to my portfolio! The artifacts contained within this portfolio represent my learnings from coursework and their application in my classroom. I am of the mindset that my learning is never complete as a teacher. Having a four year degree (or multiple degrees) does not mean that one is done learning. In the language teaching field, there is much to learn and reflect upon daily. The work that appears throughout this site has helped me to better define my practice and role as a language teacher. I was able to use new knowledge from readings, discussions, and an independent study to mold my practice and refine my pedagogy as a Spanish teacher, as well as become a consumer of research and learn the most effective ways to stay updated in the field.
At the top of this page you will see various categories which are drop-down menus that will lead you to various sections and artifacts in this portfolio. Each artifact will have an introduction that will contextualize the work and its place in the program, as well as how I applied it to my classroom. My goal is for all visitors to this site to walk away with a broad picture of what I learned while in the MAFLT program and a specific perspective of what I value and why in second language pedagogy. Enjoy!
Click here to learn more about the MA in Foreign Language Teaching program at Michigan State University: