When, how, and why did you choose the teaching profession? I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 10. I have always loved helping others or finding new ways to complete tasks. I often struggled in school and only had a few teachers that I have loved and unfortunately more teachers that I have not loved. I wanted to become the teacher I always wanted to have. I think of my younger self when teaching a lesson and think “how would I have liked to learn about this?
Why did you choose the Brit-Magyar School? I really loved the community and overall vibe of the school. One of my first video chats was during a theme week and a previous teacher was in a princess costume for our interview–which was a good thing that teachers could have fun along with the students. When I was having talks via video chat with staff members, I could feel the comradery through the screen. The more I learned about the school, the environment, the city and the country, the more I fell in love and knew this was the right move for me.
What does an ideal lesson look like for you? An ideal lesson to me looks organized and sounds collaborative and fun. I like to start with something slower/softer to transition into a lesson as kids have a hard time with a harsh transition. You would see a variety of pictures and videos that help to explain the topic we are learning. You would hear students working together to help their individual learning blossom further. Hopefully you would see lots of smiles and maybe a giggle or two.
What is the most important thing you’d like to pass on to your students? That I don’t expect perfection because nobody’s perfect. I think a lot of students think that teachers are perfect and know everything when that is not the case. We make mistakes and I especially make mistakes so instead of being perfect, we can take it as a learning experience and do better the next time. I try and reveal when I don’t know something to show students that I am a human that is still learning
How do you motivate students to learn? I motivate students to learn by celebrating small achievements. Sometimes a larger goal can seem daunting but what I can do is reveal the smaller and more achievable step to achieve the larger goal.
What do you love most about teaching? I love to hear “Aahhhhh” or “Oh I get it now” after explaining the same topic in a different way. Not all students learn the same way or respond to the same instruction. Each student is a puzzle with a unique key, I love the challenge of finding out how the student learns best so I can help them be successful in their own way.
Your favourite quote
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson