News Article

Tatsiana Chaiko joined the Department World Languages and Cultures in 2016 as an instructor of Spanish. Her passion for learning new languages has led her on a journey of learning from Belarus to Jonesboro.

Tatsiana Chaiko

Place of birth:

Belarus

Why did you choose A-State?

It’s a good place to get some valuable experience.

The best advice I ever received was...

to learn foreign languages. It was my mother’s advice. She said knowing other languages would open a whole new world for me. It actually did, since I ended up in the U.S. teaching Spanish.

Who was your favorite teacher (and why)?

Probably my Linguistics teacher, because he would treat the students with respect as if we were teachers too. He would always encourage us to participate and to be responsible for discussions, instead of just sitting and listening to his explanations. He had such an impact on my idea of a good teacher that I adopted that model when I became an instructor of Spanish.

What’s the value of a university education?

I believe that a university degree is a long-term investment that opens the door to endless opportunities for students. It helps them to foster their critical thinking, to learn how to communicate with each other more efficiently and obviously to find a better job in the future.

Your philosophy on education:

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.

My spirit cartoon character is...

Hedgehog in the Fog. It’s a Russian animated movie (1975). It’s difficult to say what exactly this cartoon is about, because it’s about life in general. It’s about the meaning of life and the paths we choose to follow, about how to embrace your fears and keep going.

If you could teach another field, which one and why?

It would probably be psychology. I think that everybody should know about this field because it can actually help people to understand each other better and to communicate more efficiently.

In college, I was known for...

spending a lot of time at the library.

What music is playing in your car?

Bob Dylan

My favorite motion picture is...

Jeux d’enfants.

What is the one thing you wish you could teach everyone about your field?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes when speaking a foreign language, because if you are afraid you’ll never speak and if you don’t speak you’ll never improve.

What are you working on right now?

Improving my teaching skills.

The television series I must TiVo...

Friends.

The last book I read for fun was...

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

My favorite trip was...

to the Grand Canyon.

If I could travel anywhere it would be...

Alaska.

Four people I’d take to coffee...

any four of my colleagues from the Department of World Languages. They are all very nice!

What is the one thing I’ve learned I’d tell my college self...

Don’t pretend to be someone else. Love yourself for who you are, with all your flaws and virtues.

My hobby is...

foreign languages, running, yoga, scrapbooking, baking, hiking and much more!

My passion is...

teaching. I absolutely love teaching. There is no feeling more rewarding than seeing your students succeed.

My pro sports team is...

Sevilla FC.

My pet peeve is...

I do not like when people have negative attitudes, particularly in the workplace. I like to remain positive.

My favorite meal is...

anything that has veggies.

A perfect day is...

to go hiking.

What I like about Jonesboro is...

probably the people. Everybody is friendly and nice.

When I want to crush karaoke, my song is...

"Blowing in the wind" by Bob Dylan.

The one thing I’d take to a desert island (and a boat is not an answer)...

a toolbox, so I could build a boat and get away from the island!

I wish I could...

have more than 24 hours in a day to have time to do everything that I want.

My favorite saying is...

Not every day is good, but there is always something good in every day!