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Ciao! Welcome to another coffee break with me. If you're new here, I'm Marina, an Italian teacher with 15 years of experience. Today, for the weekly topic, I want to share a story about someone very special.
No pressure. No complicated grammar. Just a little story about inspiration.
Let's begin.
I still remember one professor from my university days.
Her name was Silvia Cuenca.
She taught Spanish, but her real lesson was much bigger than that.
At that time, I was studying Foreign Languages and Literatures at university — English and Spanish — and I was already giving private lessons to high school students. I was also studying Italian at university as part of my broader path. It later became my profession.
I had a deep love for languages, and I was already trying to make my students feel at ease. But I didn't yet know how to do it as naturally as she did.
She taught me how to walk beside my students and truly enjoy the process with them.
In Italy, professors and students often keep a certain distance.
She didn't.
She was warm and close. She was demanding, but incredibly kind.
She had a beautiful solarità — a warmth and brightness that made every lesson feel like a conversation with a friend.
She didn't just teach me Spanish.
She taught me how to teach with heart.
What I learned from her:
She was close to her students' needs.
She taught with patience and affection.
She made me feel that I could learn, even when I was unsure and under pressure.
I still remember a Spanish song she played for us. I didn't understand the words back then.
Today, I think of it and smile.
The "Caffè" connection:
Her kindness stayed with me all these years.
When I began teaching, I wanted to be like her. I wanted my students to feel welcomed, supported, and never judged.
I know how it feels to be unsure and under pressure.
That is why I created "Caffè con Marina".
My lessons are not just about grammar. They are about feeling at ease, like having a warm coffee with a friend.
And that idea was born in her classroom.
Next Tuesday:
Another word, another coffee. Until then, enjoy your coffee!
A presto,
Marina - Caffè con Marina
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