When it comes to teaching, Spanish Lecturer Dean Simpson is anything but ordinary. Known for his creative methods and entertaining style, Simpson is a unique classroom presence.
A Facebook.com group titled "Lovers of Mr. Diem," created by some of Simspon's former students, sums up the professor's relationship with his students. "Though we may not be able to breakdance, or speak in different accents at will, we can do one thing well: appreciate the awesomeness that is ... Dean Simpson," the group's description proclaims.
Simpson said he first discovered his love for Spanish literature and culture in high school.
"I got into Spanish because I studied abroad [in Spain] with my boarding school," Simpson said. "It was such a life-changing experience, because I had never been in a plane, in a hotel, in a taxi or out of New England."
"I was 18," he added, "and now my three-year-old son has already been to Spain nine times."
As a student at Bard College in New York, Simpson's fascination with Spanish life grew. "I went abroad again to Spain for a semester. I really enjoyed that. I actually ended up going to study abroad six times," he said. The experience drove him to pursue Masters and Doctorate degrees at Middlebury, as well as to continue traveling to Spain.
"This was the opposite extreme, from being a minister and school teacher's son in New England to seeing the world and repeatedly going back," he said.
Simpson began teaching at Tufts in 1997 as he completed his doctoral studies. According to Spanish department coordinator Marta Rosso-O'Laughlin, Simpson's enthusiasm was immediately clear.
"I found him very cooperative as a colleague," Rosso-O'Laughlin said. "He would always be willing to give an extra helping hand if needed. He would run copies, share material or even just get you a cup of coffee."
"That says a lot about a person," she added.
Simpson's attitude towards teaching led him to quick success in the classroom. He currently teaches an intermediate course, advanced composition and conversation courses and other advanced survey courses. According to Rosso-O'Laughlin, he knows how to make his students happy.
"A lot of what I know about his teaching is through the students' evaluations," she said. "He has good reviews. People usually love him."
One of Simpson's current courses blends themes such as political antagonism and terrorism to focus on the international aspect of Spanish study, with the goal of making the course more relevant for students. According to Simpson, variety is the key to making sure students stay engaged.
"Next semester we are doing something completely different," Simpson said. "I always change the theme to make sure it's not repetitive."
Andrea Frey, a sophomore who has taken Simpson's advanced composition and conversation class the past two semesters, said Simpson's style has kept the course interesting for her.
"He picks his textbooks from top-seller lists in Spanish-speaking countries," she said. "That way he avoids those dry textbooks you often find in the classroom."
In addition to fresh and constantly updated material, Simpson also engages his students with his entertaining and unorthodox teaching methods. From teaching about the Shining Path guerrilla group in Peru to the Spanish Civil War or the history of the Basques, Simpson incorporates creative activities into each subject.
"We get into exploring all the extra things, like the language, the culture and the food," he said. "We are actually going to a Peruvian restaurant next week."
"He keeps the class interesting with his sense of humor. He makes funny voices and accents," Frey said.
Simpson's interactive approach affects all aspects of his classes. "We do two skits during the semester that we put on in the theater," he said. "For the conversation aspect we learn street Spanish."
Simpson said he's particularly drawn to Latin American poetry. Not only does he relish in the opportunity to enjoy others' poetic works, but he also plans to write a book of his own Spanish poetry. To keep his work fresh and interesting, he looks to rap artists such as Eminem to give modern context to Spanish poetry.
"I've written some raps," Simpson said. "They're actually more '80's-style. I can't really do the new rap, like the Biggie Smalls forced-rhyme stuff. I'm more like old Tupac. I give that as an assignment to the students sometimes - I've had students who have made entire rap videos."
"I don't go to clubs or anything," Simpson added jokingly. "Actually I did a couple of times in Madrid."
According to Simpson, creative activities encourage a much-needed spontaneity within the Spanish classroom.
"Inhibition is the enemy of language acquisition," Simpson said. "If you feel more comfortable to learn, that is the perfect environment to foster."
Simpson said many features of his curriculum are spur-of-the-moment inspirations. During one class period, he had his wife and son call from Madrid to speak to the class on speaker phone.
"A few students in the class already knew my family because we had all gone out to eat last semester at a Mexican restaurant in Harvard Square," he said.
Other innovative lesson plans have brought life to traditional Spanish literature.
"We had class in a shuttle bus," Simpson said with a smile, explaining that his class had been studying a Spanish poem depicting the circular nature of life. "We went completely around the 20-minute circuit. There were certain things I pointed out along the way as we read the whole poem. It was about 384 lines. I wanted to illustrate the circularity. You end up where you begin."
Many of his students opt to take his courses multiple times during their college careers. "I once had a student for six semesters," Simpson recalled.
"I've taught at a lot of universities, but Tufts is one of my favorites," Simpson said. "The quality of work here is just amazing. The amount of Spanish they know and their cultural interest is incredible."
