New TA Paul Cella prepares for first class as instructor
Paul Cella, a second-year graduate student, will teach a college course for the first time this year.
By Basheer Alas
Sept. 16, 2011 4:33 p.m.
Having taught English in Madrid for two years, Paul Cella is no stranger to the classroom environment.
As a newly hired teaching assistant for the upcoming year, however, Cella will be among other graduate students teaching a college course for the first time.
Originally from Chicago, Cella earned an undergraduate degree in Spanish and history from the University of Wisconsin in 2006 and is now a second-year UCLA graduate student in Latin American literature.
Teaching introductory Spanish for the first time, Cella said he doesn’t feel too nervous.
“I am more excited than anxious,” he said. “I want to share my passion for Spanish and convey a strong mastery of the language.”
He is counting on good organization and planning to make every lesson as interesting as possible.
Francesca Gambini, Cella’s colleague and a second-year graduate student who taught introductory Spanish last year, echoed his sentiments about the importance of a solid class structure.
“Organization is a must,” she said. “Preparing for a class before you come in helps with confidence.”
Going into her second year of teaching Spanish, Gambini said she is confident in Cella’s abilities and offered some personal advice to all incoming teaching assistants.
“My recommendation is not to forget your personality,” Gambini said.
To avoid teaching a Spanish class restricted to verb tenses and the subjunctive, Cella said he plans to enrich his lessons by bringing in images of Spanish-speaking countries and playing Spanish songs.
Because most of Cella’s students in Madrid were younger, he said he expects more independence from UCLA students.
“It is very important for them to practice what they are learning,” Cella said.
Cella said teaching at a college level will provide the experience necessary to one day reach his goal of becoming a professor of Spanish literature.
Wendy Kurtz, a third-year graduate student studying peninsular and contemporary literature and the incoming teaching assistant coordinator for the Spanish and Portuguese department, said she will assist Cella and other incoming teaching assistants in balancing their graduate work with the classes they are teaching.
Having known Cella for more than a year, Kurtz said she is very confident about his abilities.
“Paul is so together as a student and he will be a phenomenal TA,” she said.
With the support of his colleagues and a determined mind-set, Cella said his goal is to emulate great teaching assistants he once had as an undergraduate.
“I want to bring in that same enthusiasm and love of learning that I was exposed to,” he said.
