Delia School of Canada
For the past five years, I've had the privilege of teaching the Ontario curriculum - an inquiry-based, student-centred Canadian program of study - at Delia School of Canada in Tai Koo, Hong Kong. Over that time, I've taught 13 different courses to students in four different grades and been a member of both the Math and English Departments. I strive to create a class environment where students are not only engaged and developing skills that will prepare them for today’s job market, but also learning how to become critically-thinking lifelong learners who are proactive about furthering their education. While clear curriculum expectations must be demonstrated during each unit, students have a large degree of autonomy in terms of the topics, mediums and formats which they use to show their learning in my classroom.
At department meetings, I have helped design workshops students aimed at preparing students for standardized tests, created and revised unit plans, and aided co-workers in understanding new teaching tools. In turn, I diligently note and respond to feedback from team members and administrators, always looking for ways it can help inform my own professional practice. I have demonstrated leadership by creating or revising course outlines, assessments and pedagogy in a way that makes for more meaningful, authentic and transparent teaching. I have also presented to my colleagues on these topics multiple times during professional development days. |
For more specific details on my teaching philosophy, my professional development and reflection, my use of technology, my classroom management approach, my extracurricular involvement, or anything else related to pedagogy, please visit the "My Practice" section of my website.
Guri SLP
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From February 2010 to February 2011, I taught the Sogang Language Program to students aged 5-14 in Guri, South Korea. My classes focused on all levels of English acquisition. Students began with phonics and basic reading, writing and speaking conventions before proceeding to "storybooks composed of short sentences and vocabulary to master the rhythm of English." At the highest level, students were reading and analyzing short novels and completing brief oral essays. This was my first experience as a homeroom teacher, and it was extremely rewarding to form bonds with the classes throughout the year. I watched students go from having absolutely no English foundation to being confident, inquisitive learners who were enthusiastic participants on a daily basis.
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In addition to teaching ESL classes, I guided students through math problems, science experiments and explorations of important social issues. The learning and communal experience didn't stop at the edge of the classroom either, as there were also musical birthday parties, field trips and sports days I helped organize and lead monthly.
National Secondary School Kailahun
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After graduating university with a bachelor of arts in 2008, I was presented with a unique opportunity: volunteering to teach in a high school in a remote village in Sierra Leone in return for room and board. To say the learning curve was steep would be an understatement - I was entering classes of up to 100 students - some several years my senior - armed with nothing but chalk. It was here that I first developed my skills not just as an ESL teacher, but also as a practitioner of backwards design and unit planning. Resources were scarce, so I based my assessments and pedagogy on the national university entrance exams. Since my classes ranged from grade 7 to grade 12, vertical planning was vital. I had to scaffold the reading, writing, listening, and speaking of English in a way that encouraged a natural progression of skills. |
In trying to help mold thoughtful, creative inquisitive students (who could be characterized by what I now know is the IB learner profile), I attempted to incorporate literature that spoke to the perspectives and experiences of my students. Sierra Leone was (and still is) recovering from a devastating civil war, one that left the education system ravaged and the country dead last on the UN's Human Development Index at the time with a average life expectancy of 44.
In 2008, females attending secondary school was still a fairly new concept, and the hardships borne by women as members of society without much agency were topics just beginning to be discussed academically. The Joys of Motherhood, by Buchi Emecheta, really resounded with my students, as did Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a thoughtful meditation on the multi-faceted effects of European colonization in Africa. I even, very delicately, explored the realities of Sierra Leone's civil war through Ishmael Beah's memoir A Long Way Gone.
The experience of living and teaching in Sierra Leone had a profound effect on me, both personally and professionally. Its impact was so great that I was inspired to write an article when I came home that was nationally published in The Globe and Mail.
In 2008, females attending secondary school was still a fairly new concept, and the hardships borne by women as members of society without much agency were topics just beginning to be discussed academically. The Joys of Motherhood, by Buchi Emecheta, really resounded with my students, as did Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a thoughtful meditation on the multi-faceted effects of European colonization in Africa. I even, very delicately, explored the realities of Sierra Leone's civil war through Ishmael Beah's memoir A Long Way Gone.
The experience of living and teaching in Sierra Leone had a profound effect on me, both personally and professionally. Its impact was so great that I was inspired to write an article when I came home that was nationally published in The Globe and Mail.
Teaching Kids News
I've always been passionate about the media - journalism was my original university major - and I've also grown increasingly concerned about the growing issues of "fake" and unreliable news as more and more young people get their information about the world from non-traditional sources. Teaching Kids News, a website aimed at providing educators and students free, child-friendly articles complete with reading and writing prompts and curriculum expectations, was a natural fit for my B.Ed. internship. While working side-by-side with site co-founder and children's author Joyce Grant, I was able to not only improve my ability to distill complicated concepts in such a way that students could read, understand and respond to them, but also develop a deeper appreciation for the role teachers can play in helping students become inquisitive, informed, analytical global citizens.
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During my time at TKN, I both wrote articles and developed lessons accompanying them that were focused on specific skills-building competencies. These activities included specific preparation guides, detailed lesson plans, and teaching tips to make their execution as smooth as possible. I still use Teaching Kids News today with my English language learners on a regular basis.
Virtual Ventures
After graduating from Carleton University in 2008, I worked at a Virtual Ventures, a summer camp based at its campus with a focus on technology. I taught students how to program simple machines built out of lego, make musical compositions using software programs like FL Studio, and set-up basic websites by coding in HTML. This experience really impressed upon me the prominent role technology must play in 21st century. There are so many tools available that can help with knowledge and skills acquisition, and the next generation of learners are growing up in a digital world where they are accustomed to learning, interacting, researching and creating using technology. Since working at VV, I have strived to integrate technology into my teaching practice in a variety of ways. More detailed info about how I use technology in my teaching can be found here.
Camp Ekon
"The paradigm is made up of two parts: skills and values. The skills recognize the importance of a cyclic process of learning from experience. The process always begins with experience. The cycle then continues to reflection on experience, "brainstorming" in light of reflection, decision and action. The cycle begins again with each new set of experiences. The values of the IPP present a clearly articulated framework and direction for personal growth. Values such as inclusion, respect for differences, service of others and carrying the heavier load are at the Christian core of the Ignatian way of being in the world. The idea is to be able to make informed choices and to take initiative and responsibility for one's own life and learning in the world." |
My first job working with youth in a mentoring role was at Camp Ekon. Founded by Jesuits in 1971 and located on a beautiful lake in Muskoka, Canada, Camp Ekon espouses "a teaching method aimed at educating the whole person in everything from science to the arts, and, of course, spirituality." While there, I taught campers a wide variety of outdoor activities, including kayaking, swimming and archery. I also helped design and run a wide variety of whole-camp activities, such as murder mysteries, fashions shows, and scavenger hunts. Working at Camp Ekon taught me many things: the importance of lesson planning, how to manage problematic behaviour in a group setting, and the level of diligence required to be responsible for someone 24 hours a day. However, the most valuable thing I learned - which rings all the more true now as I look back on this experience more than a decade later - was that education doesn't stop at the door of the classroom. Many of my campers were from underprivileged homes, had severe disabilities, or had difficulty fitting in socially. To witness the personal growth they had over the summer by feeling part of a community and discovering confidence and talents they didn't know they had was truly special. Since working at Camp Ekon, I have always striven to teach the individual as a whole in as interdisciplinary a way as a possible. |