The teacher to feature I have selected is Nima Keivani. Keivani is the new French teacher. Keivani is a new member of HCP faculty and once I got news that a Persian teacher was hired, I was excited to meet him. I first introduced myself to him and when I mentioned that I was also Persian I watched his face light up.
Keivani was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He went to college there where he discovered his love for teaching French and literature in general. Keivani previously worked as a professor in University of Wisconsin in Madison and University of Kansas where he also taught French. Keivani is also a writer and a poet creating pieces in four different languages, French, English, Italian and Farsi. His fluency in French wasn’t a dead end for him though as it landed him a job working the French Embassy in Iran which helped him elevate his speech.
Keivani is a theatrical enthusiast and enjoys all forms of art. Keivani enjoys visiting museums and other places where artists express their talents and takes inspiration from their work to apply to his own. He also enjoys watching and analyzing poetry and theatrical performances in all three languages. Keivani uses these materials to apply them to his own work where he constructs poetry in multiple languages. Keivani said that this interest has been with him for a very long time, even back in Iran where there were small theaters with small productions and he would attend those.
Keivani’s artistic background doesn’t just end there. He also is a big enthusiast for traditional Persian music and taught multiple Persian instruments including a Tombak and also the Daf. But being the poet that he, is he believes the most important thing in any song is lyrics and the meaning for which those stand. The melody and rhythm are second in importance for Keivani in terms of music.
Keivani had many cultural shocks and shifts that surprised him during the transition.
“Shows such as ‘Friends,’ ‘Lost’ and ‘Prison Break’ give you a mind set of America,” Keivani said.
Keivani said that the shows that are portrayed through Hollywood and cinema created a idea of what America should be like. The shock came when he learned that life is truly so different then what is portrayed by Hollywood and cinema.
When Keivani was asked what he believes his purpose is as a teacher, he replied, “I believe my purpose in teaching is to expand literature beyond it’s traditional understanding.”
“I want my students to have understanding and knowledge, and be able to recognize cultural references in literature,” he said. Keivani’s philosophy is to help the next generation expand and understand the importance and significance of this literature.
Keivani is a bit of a history buff, and said there was a certain historical figure he would be excited to meet, if given the chance.
“If I could meet anyone it would be Cyrus the Great, and my question for him is how he was at such a understanding to take over a territory and liberate them,” Keivani said. He further explained, saying he wanted to understand how he could perform such an act of humility 2,500 years ago. Cyrus the Great is often recognized as one of the first rulers to recognize human rights and religious freedom.
Although he is a teacher, Keivani continues to educate himself.
“Learning because I see myself as a long-life learner, but I believe learning and teaching go together,” Keivani said. He then described how he begins every single one of his classes with the globe do make his students familiar with their world. He also said how he uses the globe to show where he’s from and bring up his old country.
