She is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She knows how to explain stuff very well, and she is really funny. I thank her for the good times I had.

she is incredible! you will need to attend class and must have the book. it is a new language so of course there is difficulty but if you attend class you will do well. she is brilliant and so helpful! if you ever have any questions she always makes time to help you. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Fantastic teacher, excellent humor.... Must Do assignment.

good sense of humor and makes time to be there for you

LOVE THIS LADY. She inspires me to love learning Italian and encourages me to go and study abroad (which I am). She is soooo funny in class and really passionate. I want her for 102!! When you are taking Italian, get Maria Rita. you will not regret it. She is also really helpful and flexible when you need something.

Best class ever. Maria Rita is the most helpful, understanding and non judgmental person. Learning a new language is tough,but she makes it fun!she genuinely cares about her students and wants everybody to do well in the class, and she makes sure that she does everything in her power to help. You are lucky if you get her as your teacher! Always fun

She was by far the best professor I have ever had in my life! I learned so much from her and it really stuck. I didn't mind going to her class every Mon-Thurs because she made it enjoyable and fun. If you go to her office hours, the advice and time she gives you is so amazing. She's so funny and lovable as well. Again, best professor EVER.

if you are going to take italian at the ua, you NEED to take it with Maria Rita!

BEST TEACHER EVER! If you take any Italian class you HAVE to take it with Maria Rita! She makes learning a new language a breeze she helps you every step of the way, I've learned a lot since she's been my teacher!

This class was definitely my favorite class of the semester. Maria Rita is extremely helpful and makes learning a new language fun. She's there for her students and I'm really glad I took her class.

Great class and a great professor! Makes italian clear and easy to understand and is very helpful. She will always give you hints and tips for each quiz/test so make sure you show up so you don't miss those.

One time I didn't do two chapters worth of homework and she let me turn it in for full credit. She is very lenient and understanding. She is very enthusiastic and obviously loves the culture which makes the class very interesting. There is a lot of homework but if you go to class the material is very easy to understand.

In response to the rater below me, Maria Rita is lenient and understanding given your circumstance (if you end up in the hospital, have a family emergency, etc). Do not miss homework for the sake of missing homework because she has a knack for knowing when students are trying to take advantage of her. Honestly, if you put in the work, you'll be ok.

Maria Rita is one of the best professors I've ever had. She makes learning a second language fun and easy. She respects the students and is always willing to help you do well in her class. If you attend class and put some effort into the work, you'll do well! I wish I could have her for all of my Italian classes!

Don't even think about it. JUST TAKE HER. Honestly she's so sweet and funny and she wants you to do great in the class! She's always giving hints here and there for the quizzes and homework, which is nice! If you're looking for the 'perfect' teacher, she's the one! :)

She said to me "don't worry, D2L does not determine your grade, I do."

Maria Rita is a GREAT Italian teacher. She is extremely helpful, quirky, and truly cares about her student's success. The class is not difficult as long as you go to class, do the online homework, and speak in class. I am honestly heartbroken she will not be teaching me in 102. If you need to take a language, TAKE ITALIAN!

The thought of taking a foreign language terrified me, so I put it off until last semester. To say I was fortunate to have Maria Rita as an instructor isn't enough. Her classroom is always a very welcoming environment and she is so encouraging. The amount of faith she puts in you really pushes you to try your best. I'm to have taken Italian w/ her.

She is a very good teacher to have for a language class. You can tell she loves teaching not only the Italian language, but also the culture. She usually ended her lectures 10-15 minutes early but you will learn a lot during her lectures. She is very funny and wants you to succeed in her class. She is also very easy to talk to.

She is a great teacher who really care about the success of her students. Make sure to go to class and do the review sheets for the quizzes because some of the examples she gives are the exact ones as the ones on the quiz. She makes class fun, often showing cool pictures from Italy, or funny videos. Take her class!

She's a language teacher who really wants you to learn Italian. She helps you in anyway possible and never tries to pull one over on you like a lot of other "educators." Put in the effort and you'll do fine in any of her classes.

Maria Rita is by far the best language teacher I have ever had. She really, truly wants you to learn and will do everything in her power to help you. She makes things as easy to understand as is possible for a foreign language, and makes class fun and enjoyable. If you have reservations about taking Italian, this is the teacher for you.

Maria rita meli is hands down the best professor to take if you actually WANT to learn Italian while still achieving an easy A. Work is moderate, lessons are engaging and enjoyable. She is very caring and really helps you through all the quizzes and tests.

Learning a new language can definitely be difficult from time to time, but boy does Maria Rita want to help. Caring, funny, lively, helpful. You can get an A if you simply put in some effort and ask for help when needed. I've had some great language teachers before, but not better than Maria Rita.

She was apart of my first semester at the U of A, and she will be remembered far past the last. What an awesome teacher/student learning experience. I loved Italian, and highly recommend it to everyone. Seriously in the top 5 professors I've ever had.

I loved Maria Rita. She is very easy going and enjoyable to have as a professor. It is obvious that she enjoys what she does and if you take her class you'll enjoy it as well. Not difficult, just show up to class and do the homework and you'll do fine.

Maria Rita made learning a new language fun. I really enjoyed that she connected the language with the culture which made the class more interesting. There is a lot of homework but no more than any other language class. I also took her ITAL 102 class and she genuinely wants all of her students to succeed and will help out whenever necessary.

Maria Rita is my favorite, she doesn't try and bore you with just grammar, she actually wants you to become excited about the Italian Culture and language. She makes class fun and she is able to give you timely feedback.

I always struggled with learning a new language in middle and high school but Maria Rita was really helpful and actually wanted you to like the class. She wanted everyone to succeed and she made class fun.

Maria Rita is by far my favorite teacher I have had at the University of Arizona so far. She is incredibly caring and you can tell she truly wants you to succeed in her class, she does everything she can to help her students. She's also super funny and relatable and she gets how much we're going through w/ classes. 11/10 would definitely recommend.

she is an amazing teacher and person. she cares about how well you are doing and is always willing to help if you need it. if you show up and do the homework you will do fine!! she even brought us espresso and cookies one morning. she is just wonderful and I wish I could have her for me entire Italian career

Maria Rita is an awesome teacher! She gets students interested in the class by teaching them about Italian culture. Although I found the class to be my most challenging one this semester, she was always very helpful and seems to truly care about each individual in her class.

It is my first time learning Italian (obviously) but I love how she teaches you by speaking in Italian, she clarifies and helps you practice in class making you feel comfortable going into learning this new language. There's occasional quizzes, oral exams, and attendance. She is a great teacher!

She cares so much! She is always giving up cultural facts about Italy as well!

She is the best professor I've had. Class was always interesting and she made class very easy to understand.

Maria Rita is the best teacher I have had so far at the U of A she genuinely makes learning Italian enjoyable and is a very easy person to talk to. I would recommend this class to everyone.

Maria Rita is amazing and the best professor I've had so far. She cares so much about her students' success and offers many ways to do well. Show up to class, do the homework and study and you will get an A. She is also hilarious and will make learning Italian a great experience.

Maria Rita is the best professor at the University of Arizona. She cares so much about her students and loves Italian. Going to her class every day was the best and I usually am terrible with foreign languages. 10/10 would recommend I just wish she taught 102 also

The epitome of what a great teacher is. She always helps out and makes the class go really smooth. She was born in Italy and offers insight into the things that most other professors can't. Do the work and go to the review sessions and you'll get an A.

Although there is a lot of homework every night it is all done to prepare to learn the material better. There's nothing about this class to complain about. I loved it and learning the language has definitely been easier because of Maria Rita.

Maria Rita is the best instructor I've had so far at U of A! She made all the difference when trying to learn a new language... Ive tried to learn both spanish and mandarin and so far her teaching style is the only one that stuck with me. All the assignments are very easy, and all the papers you have to write are only 75 words each.

She keeps the class interested throughout the lecture and has the best stories about Italy and the culture of it. The sweetest, most likable professor you will meet!

Maria Rita is very excited about what she teaches and is very inspirational! I was always excited to come to class and hear her stories about Italy. You'll definitely learn the language as well as a lot about Italian culture. There tends to be a lot of homework on connect but other than that it is a great class!

Even though I ended up not being good at Italian, Maria Rite made every second of class time worth it for me. She always tells the best stories and does her best to make sure you understand all the material that you have to go over. She also has a genuine care for her students and does everything she can to see that you succeed!

Maria Rita was my favorite professor I've had at the University so far and would do anything to have her again. You were never surprised by anything on a quiz and test and she does everything in her power for you to succeed.

Maria Rita is the sweetest, most caring professor you will meet on this campus. Her Italian 101 class was the reason I wanted to get out of bed in the morning. She talks about Italian culture and makes learning a new language way less intimidating. I have recommended her to all my friends and many have switched from SPAN to ITAL and have loved her

A queen.

Maria Rita made learning Italian as easy as possible and she offered as much extra credit as she could. She explains difficult concepts before each and every quiz/exam and its obvious that she truly cares about her students. She is by far the best Italian teacher at the U of A and I can't wait to take ITAL102 with her!

Maria Rita is one of the best teachers I've had at UofA. She cares so much about her students and really wants them to pass. She'll help you if you're ever struggling and makes the class a really comfortable environment to learn in. I've learned so much in her class because of her.

Seriously an amazing professor. I have always struggled with learning new languages but she is so helpful and makes sure that you have every resource needed to get good grades in the class. I am so glad I took this class.

Maria Rita is the absolute BEST. I adore her as a person and as a professor. She cares so much about her students' success and will guide you through any difficult concepts. She gives you outlines of the quizzes, so you know what to expect. I got D's and F's on Spanish in high school, and I'm getting an A in this class. So worth taking!

Maria Rita is by far my favorite U of A professor. She is very personable and hilarious! She effectively teaches the material and you know what to expect for the exams. There are a lot of exams. She is from Italy and shares a ton of cultural information. I like her so much that I am taking a 3 week 102 with her this summer!

She is a really nice person

This is a professor who really lays it all out for you. She tells you what to expect and there are truly no surprises. If you keep up with the online work and actually try, you will succeed in whatever course you take with her. She wants you to do well, which is refreshing compared to other professors here.

Maria Rita is great! Any language class is tough and has department requirements that include a lot of homework, but she makes the lectures easy to understand. She truly cares about the students and wants everyone to do well. There's cultural events you can attend for extra credit, and she teaches a lot about Italian culture. Def recommend her!

Best professor I have ever had. Incredible, hilarious, and caring. She helped me fall in love with a language I went from knowing nothing about to pursuing a minor in it. Take her class, you won't regret it!

I took ital 101 with her and she was awesome. I liked her enough to take a 3 week 102 course with her. She made 3 or 4 hour, 5 day a week for three weeks class bearable. She is one of the best professors I have ever had. The content of 102 is a lot, but I did well for the pace.

Really passionate and makes the boring parts of learning a language fun.

She is so funny and awesome. Very understanding of a students mentality and cares a lot for her students lives.

My favorite professor I have ever had.

She is very willing to help any student who is struggling. She also cares about how her students are doing in the class. I would recommend taking Italian just for the chance of getting her a a professor. Very funny and very honest. One of my favorite professors hands down.

Great teacher! Do your connect assignments, study, and pay attention you will do great! Also, her classes are really fun!

Maria Rita is a goddess and an amazing professor! She is a great lecturer makes understanding Italian easy. SHE WANTS YOU TOO PASS. I got the time wrong for our final, showed up an hour late and she still let me take it. What a queen! She offers extra credit on the test and tells fun stories about Italy. I would absolutely take the class again

One of the funniest & nicest teachers I've had. Class usually flies by fast bc she makes it so fun & interesting. She tells great stories & truly wants everyone to pass. If you complete the HWs & attend class, you'll easily get an A. She tells fun stories about Italy & wants her students to pass. She makes learning a new language 100x better!

I would literally be friends in real life with Maria Rita if I could. She is the best professor Ive ever had and I cant recommend her enough. I took her for ITAL101 and 102. She is so helpful, caring, funny, and easy to talk to. She genuinely cares about her students and wants them to do well. I looked forward to this class each day! Take her!

She is very kind and funny, and very good at explaining the Italian language in a clear way.

I am so happy I started learning Italian with Maria Rita! She is excellent at explaining and her lectures were always interesting and kept me engaged. I really felt I learned a lot. I am happy to say that I will be taking another class with her. I can't vouch for the other Italian professors, but take Maria Rita if you can:)

Love her. If you have a chance to take a class with her, do it!

If you plan on taking Italian, do yourself a favor and take Maria Rita's class. She keeps the entire class engaged and makes every day fun. Class should be easy if you pick up languages well. Homework is easy and I haven't gotten lower than 90% on any of the exams because she makes sure you know the content with review days and study guides

Maria Rita is my favorite professor I've had at the U of A so far. I had her for Italian 101 and 102 and got an A in both. She genuinely cares about all of her students and really wants you to succeed in her class. If you are on the fence about taking her class, do it. She is awesome. She makes the learning feel easy and class is always fun.

10/10 would ask about mafia ties again. Hands down the best and most caring professor at the UA. If you're taking Italian just to get the requirement out of the way, you will leave with a minor in Italian because class with Maria Rita is just that fun. She makes learning a language an easy, accessible, and ridiculously fun process.

It was online due to covid, but I don't think it would've changed much. It's a great beginner course. She's very supportive and welcoming. Just remember, you can retry the Connect hw multiple times to get a better score.

I was initially nervous about this class because I've had terrible experiences with foreign language classes, but this class became one that I really looked forward to going to. Maria Rita makes the material engaging and lays out everything for you from the first day. There are literally no surprises as long as you follow along with the syllabus.

Maria Rita is one of those professors who loves teaching and makes you love learning. Loved how much she cares for her students. She makes learning italian so much fun and easy! Would 100% take this course again with her.

I love Maria Rita! She is my favorite professor so far. She cares about her students, and lays everything out from the beginning, so the course is easy to follow. I wish I could take her class again!

I've never met a prof at UA that deserves a raise more than Maria Rita. She's so engaging and totally willing to help if you ask. She gave super good feedback on assignments. I was just taking this for the foreign language requirement and now I have a minor in Italian. Just overall a great class, wish she taught the 200 levels as well!

Maria Rita is one of the best professors I have every had. She is kind and engaging, in and out of the classroom. She goes out of her way to ensure that each student is getting the material from class and learning effectively at their best pace.

Best professor Ive ever had shes so fun and encouraging !! Made me fall In love with Italian

Maria Rita is great! There's really no reason to stress over any of the tests, oral exams, or written compositions because there is a lot of extra credit and she wants you to succeed. The class is entertaining and she is so funny!

By far one of my favorite professors I have ever had! The entire reason I took Italian was because a friend said she was an amazing professor and they were not wrong. She makes sure her students know we are humans before we are students and really wants you to succeed on her class, other classes, and life outside of school.

Maria Rita is the best language professor I've met and taken a class from. Even if you aren't convinced to major or minor in Italian after taking her class, you'll have received a better understanding of Italian culture, language, and society. I've found that she truly cares about her students, both inside and outside of class.

Very charming and fun to be in her class, if you are a hard worker you will get an A+. She does everything a student could ask for and definitely take this class.

loved taking her class, she is very chill and laid back, I would take her again!

Maria Rita is great but the people who take this class will make you tear your hair out.

Maria Rita is an awesome professor. She is respectful and caring and makes class fun to got to. Attendance is mandatory but there are a lot of opportunities for extra credit to make up for days missed. She teaches very well and prepares you well for the exams.

Such a fun class. Subject matter moves fast pace but is super easy to pick up on. Maria Rita makes the class very engaging and very fun. Homework can be annoying throughout the week but Maria Rita is available for help if needed.

Maria Rita is the best professor on UofA's campus. Her ITAL101 class has nightly homework, but its graded for participation, not the score you get. She is very helpful and understanding.

Maria Rita is one of the best instructors I've ever had. She is personable and funny while still able to teach effectively. Loved showing up to her lectures and felt like I learned a lot. Nightly online homework, but it isn't too bad. Cannot recommend enough and would like to have again!

The best professor in the world! She is so funny and needs her own talk show ASAP. Shes a amazing teacher and really cares about her job.She loves her students and goes the extra mile to make sure they are doing well. I encourage everyone to take one of her courses.

Literally the best professor I have ever had. She values her student's time and is a wonderful teacher. It is easy to follow her lectures and she is very easy with her grading. She is extremely understanding if something happens in a student's personal life.

While there is a lot of homework and daily participation is important, she is very forgiving and provides a lot of make-up opportunities and is very understanding of anything that might come outside of class. Most of the coursework is online quizzes so very little is graded by her but she is very lenient with how she grades papers.

I absolutely love Maria Rita so much, she is genuinely my favorite professor, and I can't believe I won't be able to take her classes anymore! I genuinely cared and put in a lot of effort into this class, and it paid off. I would take Italian 101 and 102 again if it meant getting Maria Rita as a teacher again. Love her so much.

Maria Rita is by far the best professor at the UofA, its not even close. Her classes are incredibly well designed and she herself is fair and understanding

This teacher is the reason I selected Italian as my second major. I absolutely love her and she should get a raise!!! 10/10 teacher who got me through my freshman year.

Maria Rita is one of the best professor's i've had. I had her for 101 and 102 and I feel like I learned a lot. Participation is one aspect of your grade but if you miss too many days there is a lot of extra credit opportunities. She also ties in Italian culture and personal stories about Italy which made both classes more interesting.

This Professor is amazing. She tells great stories, makes fun jokes and side comments, and always appreciates student input. There is homework most days, but it is short and easy. The professor is very responsive to students and great about answering questions. I wouldn't want to take this course with anyone else.

Maria Rita was kind to all students and an exceptional teacher throughout the semester. I have attempted to learn other languages in the past but I have never had a better grasp of a language in such a short period of time than when taking this class. Highly recommend this class and taking it with Maria Rita!

Literally one of the best teachers ever, very kind tells amazing storys and makes italian actually enjoyable. The class is somwhat easy if you try and show up. I would definitely recommend

Maria Rita has to be one of the best teachers at U of A. I have hated every other experience I've had with learning a language but Maria Rita made it so fun. She's so funny, cares so much, and is such a good teacher. She let make up late work because she really wants all of her students to get A's and succeed. Highly recommend this class.

This was my second semester with Maria Rita and it was just as amazing if not more as the last. I do not know the other Italian professors but I highly recommend Maria Rita. She is very forgiving if you have a family emergency or make a mistake. Her lectures are exceptional and I wish I could take 201 with her!