I am Professor Natasha Yannacañedo’s biggest fan. It is no surprise to me that she was nominated for the LIM College Distinguished Teaching Award. Public Speaking was never my strong point. I used to consider myself shy, having Professor Yannacañedo as my professor for this course helped me come out of my shell. Thanks to her fantastic teaching methods I was able to break out of my shell in more ways than I ever imagined. Natasha Yannacañedo is serious about teaching and it shows. She pushes you to do your best. She makes me feel like my achievements are also hers. ~ Jessica Utate
Professor Yannacañedo strengthened my writing skills through the speeches she made us write and taught me how to speak in front of a group of people. Not only was her class entertaining every day, it was hands-on so I never felt as if I was staring at the clock waiting for it to be lunch time. Professor Yannacañedo is one of the kindest human beings and best professor I have had not only at LIM College, but at all my schools. She will always be my favorite professor!
~ Devyani Pophaly
It takes a special kind of person to turn shy, quiet strangers into an energetic family. That is that Professor Yannacañedo did for my public speaking class. When it came to speaking in front of the class, expressing our selves and being judged, some of the class was near death afraid. By the end of the semester even the quietest person was demanding the spotlight to share her most personal stories. Professor Yannacañedo's teaching style is by far the most effective that I have ever experienced. In addition to her great teaching, Professor Yannacañedo is also very talented in the arts. I had the privilege of attending a show she directed. The show was an amazing expression of her creativity. I without a doubt recommend Professor Yannacañedo. She is by far one of the best teachers I have ever had.
~ Lauren Blanco
After hearing many negative things about public speaking, I was naturally nervous to begin the class. Professor Yannacañedo instantly made me feel comfortable while she reassured me that public speaking is not to be feared, rather an art that can be easily learned through some repetition and hard work. Throughout the class she gave us great constructive criticism which made us all more confident as speakers. By the end of the semester, I felt that I could give the great public speaker president Obama a run for his money!
~ Chloe Cyr
Public speaking now comes natural to me, speaking at churches, schools and just amongst friends are all things that I feel absolutelycomfortable doing," I recently told a family member. Of course, this statement wouldn'thave rolled off the tongue as easy as it did if I didn't have some solid helpfrom a wonderful and patient professor. During my freshman year at LIM CollegeI was told to take a mandatory Public Speaking course and I wasn't sure whatto expect. However by the end of the course I felt confident in my speaking andwas able to present with the pros. I owe this all to Professor Yannacañedo, her unique teaching techniques and her ability to see something in a person which may not be currently present in their eyes.
~ Annicia Lynton
From the very beginning, Natasha’s talent working with our students was obvious. Natasha is an actor by trade and brought the exuberance of the stage and the passions of her heart into the classroom. Like the demanding professional that she is, Natasha expects the best work each student is able to demonstrate while in her classes. Her expectations, however, are accompanied by encouragement, assistance, and the genuine desire to see each student in her classes succeed. Natasha is a dynamic and engaging teacher, and, like all great teachers, she is able to bring out the very best in her students, even those who suffer public speaking anxiety. Natasha has a strong drive towards excellence. The sign of a fine classroom teacher is to conduct classes and elicit participation in such a way that the most and least capable are acknowledged for their efforts: Natasha is a great encourager. She utilizes voice and acting techniques to build student confidence (sometimes in the face of real anxiety on the part of the student) and treats her class as a learning community, whereby each student is an individual as well as a contributing member of that community. In Natasha’s classes I saw students who are relaxed and comfortable amongst their peers and teacher, and meet the challenge of public speaking in spite of their fears.
~ Richard LaManna, Ph.D.
Professor Yannacañedo shows tremendous command of her subject matter. She is an experienced actress who currently performs in professional theater productions. The lessons she brings back from her own work in the theater are of the highest value to our students and significantly enhances the level of quality we can offer in our program. I can personally say, and have heard similar testimonial from colleagues, that I can recognize her students in my own courses by the manner and confidence with which they give oral reports and presentations. Equally impressive is Prof. Yannacanedo’s command of the classroom. It has been clear in every visit that her students are highly responsive to the demands of the subject matter and cooperate to ensure an atmosphere of learning and mutual respect. In the sessions I have seen, students have come studied and prepared for presentations, whether in acting or public speaking exercises. The same I could say for the extracurricular theater productions of which she has taken ownership and brought to new heights, including successful performances of difficult works like Molière’s Tartuffe and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Professor Yannacañedo is a rare instructor. She is a talented teacher with a depth of knowledge and experience that provides our students with challenging, high quality courses. She is also been a reliable and greatly valued colleague. I give her my highest recommendation.
~ Scott Weiss, Ph.D. |
