For as long as I can remember, I have been in the company of educators and involved in learning environments. When I was young, I helped my mother in her elementary classrooms and later I volunteered at the Abilities Council, assisting adults with mental and physical disabilities. My journey as an international educator began when was 18 years old and accepted a position to care for and tutor a girl in Germany. While I was in Germany, I discovered my interest in languages, travel and teaching. I returned to Canada to complete my Bachelor degree in English Literature and began a career in the Alberta Film and Television Industry. During this time, I continued to volunteer at elementary schools, instructed a poetry program for adults with schizophrenia and taught two semesters at the ESL Learning Institute in Doha, Qatar. In 2005, I decided to pursue a career in teaching English language learners, so I completed my TESOL certification and applied for a position in Taiwan.
My contract at American English School required me to instruct five levels of children’s classes ranging from a full-immersion American grade one curriculum, to an advanced communicative speaking and grammar class for young adults. During this time, I also taught private students, usually adults interested in improving their English for the purpose of travel or employment. I also developed and instructed summer session classes for the Education Department at the National University of Pingtung.
In August 2008, I moved back to Canada to work on my Masters in Integrated Studies - with a specialization in Adult Education and Global Change, this interdisciplinary program not only allows me to continue my professional development as an educator, but it cultivates an understanding of an increasingly globally interdependent world. In the fall, I was offered an instructor position at North West Regional College and taught multi-level ESL classes to new Canadians. In addition to administrative duties and participation in professional development workshops and faculty meetings, I was expected to demonstrate current instructional content knowledge and eliminate student barriers to learning. In my role at North West Regional College I was encouraged to facilitate experiential learning, enable individual growth and adhere to methods of authentic assessment that best measure student performance in the specified course outcomes.
In my former ESL/EFL teaching positions, I developed effective classroom management tools, concise lesson planning skills, and purposeful instructional strategies. Through appropriate use of technology, I utilized various teaching strategies to meet the individual needs of the students. I maintained a strong professional rapport with colleagues and students, by promoting fairness, listening, and empathy in the school. I sustained a positive classroom-learning environment that embraced diversity and celebrated creativity from a biasfree perspective.
My husband and I have taken the year ‘off’ to travel in Asia but we are looking for a place to settle down and call home - at least for a few years. I believe my experience, combined with a strong work ethic, interpersonal skills, motivation to evolve as an educator and desire to serve as a resource to English language learners make me a good candidate for any ESL/EFL instructor/tutor position. I am confident my professional experience has prepared me to develop meaningful course content and deliver effective lessons. I have excellent oral and written communication skills and I am comfortable using standard computer programs and applications. I will ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn by planning appropriate and constructive lessons in a supportive and enjoyable learning environment.
