Izzo shares her love of Italy with her students

“I always say I was born here, but my heart was truly born in Italy.”

Those are the words of Anna Izzo, who studied in Italy, traveled the country extensively, and now teaches Italian at Elk Grove High School in suburban Chicago.

Izzo, who calls herself “a student at heart,” holds several degrees.

She has undergraduate degrees in Italian, Spanish and secondary education from the University of Iowa. She also has three master’s degrees: one in curriculum and instruction with an English Language Learning concentration from National Louis University; one in health and wellness from the American College of Education; and one in the advancement and teaching of Italian culture and language from the University of Milan.

“That was a really great program.  I was the only American in the program, so my perspective was very different, but it was great. My hope is to offer Italian as a dual credit course here, and this degree would allow for that.”

The Milan program was online. Previously, Izzo studied in Italy during college through the University of Pisa, and then lived for four months in the Marche region, where she taught English.

“I’ve also done several short trips to Italy to travel and visit friends, and I backpacked in central Italy,” she says. “I’ve been around the majority of the country. Although there are still so many places I still need to see, I always say there’s nothing like Tuscany. I love the rolling hills, the history, the classic cuisine and the small towns. One of my favorite cities I always recommend to people is San Gimignano. It’s beautiful.”

Izzo grew up in Western Springs, also in suburban Chicago, and graduated from Lyons Township High School, where she studied Italian and Spanish. Her family is originally from Petrulo, a village in the province of Caserta, in the Campania region.

“My family has always had a strong interest in the Italian traditions. However, we were very much Americanized at the same time,” she says. “For example, we always had fish and seafood on Christmas Eve, but we never celebrated la Befana, only Santa.”

Izzo has taught Italian at Elk Grove High School, where she sponsors the Italian Club, for 13 years. She has also taught Spanish for the last six years and coached track and field for five years.

A difference between teaching Spanish and Italian is that one cannot tackle the latter without also teaching the culture, she says. “Spanish is spoken in 21 different countries, all with unique cultures. While of course we talk about a lot of aspects of those countries, it’s not the same as teaching Italian, where the country and the language go hand in hand,” she says. “They are so intertwined.”

Izzo says she especially loves to teach Dante, introduce verbs and talk about Italian food.

So why did Izzo become a teacher?

“I think when it comes down to it, I just love to talk about Italy,” says Izzo, who is involved with the American Association of Teachers of Italian. “I’m always making connections and sharing fun cultural things that I love with people around me. I have the best job ever because I get to talk about Italy all day.”

Her approach to teaching is all about creating a welcoming environment that celebrates everyone’s unique culture, she says. “As much as I’d love to have all my students continue their Italian studies forever, I’m well aware that the majority won’t. What I really care about is being a consistent and positive role model for my students. My students know that I will support them in any way I can. I care so much for these kids.”

As for the best part of being a teacher, “it’s a new audience for my jokes every year,” she quips.

On a more serious note, she says, “Nothing feels better than seeing students smile in your classroom. In addition to that, I love seeing student growth. They first walk into my room not knowing one word, and soon we’re having simple conversations and writing paragraphs. I love showing them what they are capable of.

Thanks to her decade-plus of experience, she’s learned to fully focus on her students once the bell rings, no matter what else might be going on. “When I’ve been going through a difficult time, I need to still show up for my students in a way that makes me proud, and that means smiling and bringing the energy that I would want if I were them.”

In her own time, Izzo loves to exercise early in the morning and play with her two kids, Mia and Luca, during the day.