Who am I?
I am Tomas Cipriani, a teacher of philosophy, history, and Italian, and an experienced trainer in digital education and innovative learning methodologies, with years of experience in the educational and training sectors. I am based in Milan, where I live and work. Throughout my professional career, I have held various school positions, including class coordinator, e-learning coordinator, digital innovation leader, and post-secondary guidance counselor. I am also a certified teacher of Italian as a second language (L2), with over ten years of experience teaching Italian to foreign students, both in person and online, and I am the author of educational materials and projects. I have collaborated for many years with the Motta-Rizzoli encyclopedia for the annual updates and have worked as a consultant and content creator for several educational publishers, including Palumbo Editore, with whom I published Scuola e intelligenza artificiale generativa: una guida pratica, a practical guide for integrating generative AI into everyday teaching.
In recent years, I have increasingly engaged in teacher and student training, delivering courses and workshops in numerous Italian schools, especially on the topics of digital and active learning. My main areas of expertise include the use of generative artificial intelligence in education, debate as a methodology for developing critical thinking and argumentation skills, and the design of educational escape rooms to foster experiential learning, collaboration, and motivation. My training programs combine theoretical rigor with a hands-on approach, with a strong focus on inclusivity, didactic sustainability, and immediate applicability of the proposed strategies.
In addition to my work as a trainer, I create educational and cultural content, much of which is published on my personal website, primarily addressed to teachers of Italian as a second language, philosophy, and history. The materials I produce range from digital resources to thematic units, from cooperative learning activities to methodological reflections, and they have also been used in editorial and academic contexts. I regularly collaborate with teachers, training institutions, and educational platforms, contributing to the development of accessible, up-to-date, and engaging resources.
A bit about my background
I was born in Rome and studied at the Tito Lucrezio Caro State Classical High School. I later graduated in Philosophy from Sapienza University of Rome, with a thesis in the philosophy of history focused on the character of Antigone in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. I then earned a master’s degree in Philosophy and Theoretical-Critical Studies, with a thesis in moral philosophy on neuroethics, particularly based on the works of Jaak Panksepp. Since my university years, I have combined work and study, constantly investing in my education and skills development, convinced that professional growth must always be accompanied by critical reflection and a desire for continuous improvement.
Living abroad
Thanks to the Erasmus program, I spent a year studying in Cologne, Germany, a country to which I returned later, living for nearly five years—mostly in Berlin. I then spent six months in Portugal, where I taught Italian online. These international experiences—across Germany, France, and Portugal—greatly enriched my vision of education and the world, enhancing my language skills, improving my intercultural communication abilities, and deepening my openness to different learning and teaching approaches.
Professional experience in business
During my time in Germany, I also worked for several years as a store manager at the Fabriano boutique located in Berlin Tegel Airport. In this role, I managed the sales team, oversaw marketing and visual merchandising, liaised with airport management, and achieved outstanding results in terms of KPIs and customer experience—as confirmed by mystery shopper tests that ranked the store among the best in the airport. This experience helped me develop essential soft skills such as stress management, leadership, organization, and effective communication. Despite these successes, I chose to return to teaching, driven by a strong inner calling and the desire to contribute more directly to the educational and social sphere.
Teaching experience
Throughout my career, I have taught students with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and educational needs, including young people with disabilities, specific learning disorders (SLD), and those from socially complex environments. Working in such contexts has taught me to be flexible, reflective, and capable of designing personalized learning paths that bring out the potential in each student. I also worked for three years as a personal assistant to a deaf student—an experience that significantly deepened my understanding of special educational needs and reinforced my belief that education must, above all, be a human relationship based on trust and attentive listening.
Teaching Italian as a second language
During my university years, I completed a year of national civil service in Rome, teaching Italian to foreign students at a local public school and working with young people in difficulty. I later continued teaching Italian as a second and foreign language in various settings, both in Italy and abroad, eventually earning the DITALS certification from the University for Foreigners of Siena. This passion led me to create Parliamoitaliano.org, an educational website that has received hundreds of thousands of visits and is still used by students and teachers around the world.
Languages and technology
I am fluent in English, German, French, and Spanish, and I am currently studying Portuguese and Catalan. I also began studying Japanese, which I hope to continue in the future. In parallel, I have always cultivated a passion for digital tools, developing websites, exploring applications, and staying up to date with emerging technologies. My approach to innovation has never been about chasing trends, but rather about critically selecting the most suitable tools for educational contexts.
Interests and volunteer work
I am passionate about reading and writing, especially poetry and fiction. I also enjoy cooperative and investigative board games, long walks, and travel as a way to fuel my creativity. I believe that every place tells a story, and every encounter can teach us something new. I’ve always had a fondness for handwriting, calligraphy, and fine stationery.
Whenever possible, I also dedicate time to volunteer work, which I consider an important part of my personal journey. In addition to my early experiences in civil service, I volunteered for six months at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan, an experience that was both meaningful and enriching.