EDUCATION

College of Santa Fe, NM

BFA Acting

International School of Manila

HS Diploma

Teaching has been something that has surrounded me my entire life.  I grew up travelling the world with my parents who are both international teachers.  This experience showed me first hand the profound responsibility and power a teacher holds and how important it is to approach teaching with expertise, and a commitment to excellence.  My previous teaching experience in Korea opened my eyes to a people and culture overflowing with tradition, ingenuity, and passion.  I was very inspired by the work ethic and commitment to education I found in Korea and garnered much satisfaction in teaching Korean children.  I am always pushing myself to think of new and more interesting and dynamic ways to teach the English language.  I believe that only through fluid and entertaining interaction can another language truly be learned- namely because you must learn to love the language first.  I constantly found through my year experience that when the child, or the teenager, or the adult was truly engaged and interested in the subject then true retention could take place.  I viewed it as a source of pride that kids always viewed my class as something to look forward to, as I too shared this feeling.

Learning a new language can be frustrating and scary, so as much as we can do to eliminate those causes for concern the better.  To this effect I find it of paramount importance to instill a sense of accomplishment and open communication amongst students in my class.  We want confident English speakers, so it is important to instill and project that confidence day in and day out in the classroom.

Students learning English should understand that learning a new language is a lifelong endeavor so it is important to be patient with themselves- a trait that should be shared by the teacher.  English won’t come over night, but I personally was astounded by how much progress was made with my class during my tenure in Korea.  Children that could not say their name, in just a few months time, were having full conversations with me in the hallway.  It was the notion that what we were doing together was working, and it was powerful to behold.

Culturally, I found Korea to be one of the more fascinating places I have ever visited, let alone lived.  The ease of my transition into Korean life was surprising, as was the genuine nature of the Korean people.  It seemed every weekend I was being ushered around by new Korean friends, eager to share with me their cuisine, culture, and way of life.  I made it a point to travel all around the country, sometimes just showing up at the bus stop and buying a ticket somewhere.  Undoubtedly I would always encounter friendly locals who would make it a point to make me feel comfortable- a trait not necessarily shared in the West.  In short, I quickly felt Korea was a home to me and I was thankful to feel so welcomed. 

I believe whole heartedly that an experience is what you put into it, and I always dedicate myself to instilling all of my energy into the task at hand.  In this way I know I did my best, which rewards me personally, and I feel rewards the students as well.  I love teaching, and I love learning new things.  We must never forget what we can learn from our students in the process of teaching them so much.