About Me
I have studied Spanish for over 25 years. I taught middle and high school Spanish for the NYC Department of Education for 10 years and have been teaching private Spanish lessons for 8 years. I believe wholeheartedly in experiential learning. After spending a summer in high school studying Spanish at a language school and living with a host family in Costa Rica, I fell in love with the language and the life-enhancing opportunities it could offer. I earned my BA in Spanish from Lawrence University, where I spent a year abroad attending the University of Granada in Spain. I went on to earn my Master’s in Spanish Language and Literature from Lehman College, graduating with honors from both universities.
I started my teaching career as a New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching middle school Spanish in the Bronx. After three years, I made the decision to transition to high school and began teaching at The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria. There, I enjoyed teaching credit-bearing courses to students from all over the world who were dedicated to their foreign language studies. Passionate about sharing my love for cultural immersion with my students, I co-founded the Junior Year Study Abroad program, leading trips of 45-70 students to Spain, Morocco, Italy, England, and France. I took advantage of summers off, engaging in my own travel study of the ancient cultures in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico, as well as indigenous people and their contributions in Panama, Chile, and Brazil (where I was able to get by 95% of the time responding to Portuguese in Spanish).
In 2016, I decided to take a year off from teaching and re-engage with my own love of Spanish in Santiago, Chile. I connected with many Venezuelan refugees and ended up teaching English to Chileans whose goals and objectives aligned with my own values. Soon after, I extended my travels and left NYC to cycle tour through Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. After two incredible years in South America, I traveled to Costa Rica to complete a Spanish Yoga Teacher Training, planning to continue traveling through Central America as a volunteer yoga teacher. The pandemic threw a curveball in my plans, however, and I returned to the US more passionate than ever about sharing the gift of speaking Spanish with others. I believe in engaging, student-centered education that makes learning come alive, and I hope to have an opportunity to share my passion for Spanish language and culture with you, opening your world in the same way that foreign language study has opened mine.
I currently reside in Sonoma County, where I enjoy gardening, hiking, biking, practicing yoga, and volunteering as an interpreter with the Botanical Bus. I delight in the joy of being able to connect with the vibrant local Latino community here.
Doce Lunas
“Doce lunas” translates to “twelve moons” in Spanish. Doce Lunas Spanish is a language school for highly motivated students whose goal is to reach fluency in one year. Like the moon, your language learning process will have many phases; I will be here to light the way on every step of your journey.
With 18 years of teaching experience, I have helped hundreds of students move from true beginner to fluency. I am 100% confident in my ability to help Spanish students of all levels accomplish their language learning goals. If you are ready to achieve your dream of speaking Spanish fluently, please get in touch to set up a consultation call.
Testimonials
"To be a great teacher, you have to love what you do. In my 5 years of taking Spanish with Daphne, she was always passionate about teaching both the language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries. She made it a priority to maintain a special relationship with all of her students, which enabled me to naturally excel in her class. She’s patient, sincere, dedicated, and much more than just a teacher."
~Rachele
"Daphne is one of the most patient, engaging, and dedicated teachers I've had the pleasure of learning from. Learning a new language can be difficult and awkward, but Daphne made the process motivating and fun. I can only offer the highest recommendation for Daphne's classes because you can be certain that you will improve your fluency quickly. And beyond her talent for teaching Spanish, she is incredibly empathetic and funny!"
~Maryam
"Daphne is an extremely patient teacher. She is creative with her instruction and always thinks of new and innovative ways to engage learners. She’s very personable and takes the time to get to know her students, which helps her understand how they learn and absorb information. Daphne is dedicated to her craft and is a master of personalizing coursework to the needs and abilities of each student.
~Tenzin
"Daphne is an incredible teacher. She carefully walks the line between being a patient and empathetic teacher while setting high standards for her students. She has the ability to help students build confidence in what they are learning, which is especially critical when learning a language. Daphne works hard to meet her students where they're at and takes an individualized approach to support specific needs. Her classes are engaging and her incredible sense of humor makes the experience of learning a new language much more enjoyable."
~Ayat
Is Doce Lunas Right for Me?
My ideal student…
🌕 …is committed to his/her/their language learning journey. Are you ready to commit to one year of Spanish lessons?
🌕 …has an intrinsic motivation for learning the language. What is your WHY?
🌕 …wants to take his/her/their Spanish out into the world. You value the life-enriching power of cross-cultural connection.
🌕 …is courageous. You are willing to push past the initial discomfort/insecurity and give your best effort.
🌕 …is dedicated. You are ready to put in at least 15 (ideally 30) minutes of Spanish study every day.
🌕 …is curious. You come to class with questions and are eager to deepen your understanding of Spanish language and culture.
🌕 …has a sense of humor - let’s have fun! Maintaining a positive mindset will help your brain engage with the material more easily, accelerating your progress.