tahn

I have a BA (Hons) degree in Criminology and I have extensive experience interacting with children in both volunteering and my personal life. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with the 9th Solihull Scout group; the skills I developed working with children ages 7-16 and ensuring their safety and happiness cemented my hopes to work within education in the future. Furthermore, I have three younger brothers, who I have guided and supported growing up. I am comfortable and confident in my abilities to work with children and teenagers in the classroom due to my experiences and my kind, patient, and positive personality. I am also in the process of my 120 hour Premier TEFL qualification. I am applying with my partner Lucy Mann, and I believe that our complimenting skillsets will create the perfect classroom environment for students to thrive and enjoy their learning.

I have a Bachelors degree in English language and literature and I am also experienced in private tutoring with children from ages four to eighteen, planning and teaching English lessons. I am a patient and positive person, with strong communicative and organisational skills. I am currently working on completing my 120 hour Premier Online TEFL course which I am thoroughly enjoying and excited to put into practise in the classroom. I am applying with my partner Joshua Jordan; this position will allow our fantastic teamwork to cross into the classroom and create a perfect and successful learning environment.

Experience: I have worked with and spent time around young children for most of my life, I helped raise and teach my younger siblings, who are all considerably younger than me, and I know how to manage a group of young children and keep them engaged and excited to learn. I have a TEFL qualification and I have some experience working as a baby-sitter and caring for children 1-on-1, which included working with them to complete their homework and extra-curricular activities.

Personality: I am a kind, considerate and respectable person, and apply myself fully to my work and what I do. I am passionate about listening, making people feel welcome and comfortable, and communicating across barriers to reach a common sense of connection. I care deeply for the environment, culture and heritage, and I am a talented musician, artist and dancer as well as being a competent teacher.

Skills: I am well travelled and have spent time in countries with very different cultures and approaches to the one I was born in. I adapt easily to new environments, and learn basic language skills that help me get around at ease. I am extremely organised and good at admin, and I can create comprehensive profiles of each of my students, where they are succeeding, and what they may need help with the improve as English speakers. I am a great listener and I am very compassio0nate, I can make anyone feel at home and comfortable around me, which is key in creating a safe learning environment. I am a natural performer and know how to create engaging lessons that keep children engaged and excited to learn every time they walk into my classroom.

Supporting others to learn new skills is something that I have always enjoyed, and is something that I have a natural aptitude for, albeit that most of my experience had been coaching sports skills such as skiing, tennis or cricket. In all cases, the process was similar; identifying where a person is starting from, and then breaking down the process required to develop from that point and then planning fun and interesting ways to practice those skills until the person had acquired them and become more confident. I find this very satisfying and have had positive feedback about my ability to support others to learn new skills.
Consequently, teaching EFL really appealed to me, as it would be an opportunity to develop these skills further whilst also experiencing life working abroad. When I first gained the EFL qualification, I was attracted to living in a new culture, although at the time I did not know what that would mean. However, after graduating in June, I spent the summer months living and working at a school in Tanzania. I loved this experience and feel that teaching English to primary-age children in this school increased my passion for EFL. I could see how valuable it is for the children to be able to learn to speak and understand the English language, additionally, I could see their excitement to be taught by a native English speaker and a young person from the UK. I was able to build strong relationships with the children by sharing my love of sports, nature, and life in general; I often found myself talking to them outside of class about their hobbies and personalities in English.

I come from a sales and business development work background but I have always wanted to get into teaching. I teach music (piano/violin) to students ranging from elementary to adults. I am a fun, outgoing, and easy-going individual and would one day like to obtain my teaching credential in the United States as well.

My name is Cheney van Graan, I am 27 Years old, and I am from South Africa. I am passionate about the performing arts and have a bachelor’s degree in motion picture science. I completed my TEFL Course in September 2021 with the TEFL Academy and I am currently stationed in Erbil, Kurdistan, where I am a kindergarten teacher for the British International Schools in Kurdistan. I have been teaching in Kurdistan since October 2021. My employment contract ends in June 2022. Although I have enjoyed experiencing the rich cultural heritage of Kurdistan and have grown to love the students in my class, I wish to experience other cultures and work opportunities. Since I was young, I have always been interested in South Korea. I love its vibrant culture and history and I enjoy traditional Korean food and pop culture. My love for Korea also lies with the strength and amazing work ethic of its population. I believe I will easily fit in with the local population as I have a personal philosophy of performing any task given to me with 110% effort. I am a perfectionist and will only consider a task complete once I am truly satisfied with the results. I believe therefore that I will be a great addition to you team of dedicated teachers and will represent your school with honour and pride. I will also be an outstanding ambassador for my home country, highlighting our own people’s excellent work ethic and desire to help other people succeed.
Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy is that learning should be a fun and wholesome experience. When planning a lesson, I aim to add as many interactive aspects as possible to ensure that all my students participate in class and have fun while also learning important concepts. Such interactive aspects include educational games that tie in with the lesson and ensuring that each student participates in the lessons by asking them questions, as well as giving them a chance to ask me questions. I approach my lessons with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I also believe in communicating regularly with the parents of my students regarding what they did in class, the progress of each child and how each child can improve their interactions in class. I also request the parents of my students to help them with homework and ensure that the work that they are given is done in a complete and acceptable manner.
While I do promote fun in the classroom, I also ensure that my students are well-disciplined while learning. In order to deter my students from misbehaving, I have set up a points system whereby I give and take away points from my students depending on their behaviour in class. This system is incredibly effective, and my students try their hardest to get the most points in class each day. In disciplining my students, I do not shout at them or otherwise humiliate them. Instead, I believe in positive reinforcement, teaching them why some behaviour is unacceptable and how they can improve their behaviour and become the best students ever. My modes of discipline are so far effective, and my students are incredibly respectful and kind in the classroom. I have even received compliments from parents who claim that their child has become much better behaved since I started teaching them.
How Do I Deal with Culture Shock?
Before I moved to Kurdistan, I did much research on the culture and customs of the country to ensure that I got there with some knowledge on how to interact with locals, how to behave in public and how to cope in a foreign country. When I arrived there, I still experienced some culture shock as so many things were incredibly different and unfamiliar to me. One particular challenge has been the language barrier between me and the local population. However, with time I was able to adapt to these changes and have been able to navigate myself around a country that is incredibly different from my home country. In addition, I befriended some locals who helped me find my way around the country.
My experience in Kurdistan has taught me that, in addition to the various administrative aspects of living and working in a foreign country, I also need to ensure that I am prepared to face the various cultural obstacles that come my way in order to overcome culture shock without much difficulty. If chosen to work in South Korea, I will do more thorough research on how to navigate my way through social and cultural aspects of the country before I get there. This will include me learning some basic Korean through educational apps such as Duolingo so that I can communicate with and gain the trust and respect of the locals; research the area that I would potentially stay in to familiarise myself with the landmarks and various activities available. I would also try get into contact with people who already live and work there to help me prepare for the change.

Energy and Attitude as an English Teacher
– Classes are conducted with much enthusiasm, with emphasis being placed on interactive lessons and student participation.
– I believe in discipline and respect for one another in the classroom and have set up effective but fair disciplinary measures for misbehaviour that reinforce good behaviour.
– I also believe in effective communication with parents and guardians
Cultural understanding and adaptability of Korea
– I am open minded and am enthusiastic about learning about the culture of a country and am able to adapt quickly to change.
– I already have some knowledge of South Korea as I have read much about it and I have a keen interest in their food, popular culture, and language.
– I will prepare beforehand for the move to South Korea by reading up on the local rules and laws of the country; learning basic words and phrases to better communicate with the local people; familiarising myself with the area I may stay in by watching videos that describe and highlight certain aspects of the region; and getting into contact with people who live and work in the area.
Teaching Ability (ESL)
– I completed a full TEFL course with the TEFL Academy in 2021, based on the Cambridge syllabus.
– I am teaching kindergarten students the basics of English, including the alphabet and phonetics
– I have received positive feedback from my supervisors at my current school regarding my teaching style, as well as positive feedback in the form of excellent results from my students.
Other Strengths as an English Teacher
– I read a lot, and therefore have extensive knowledge on how English should be taught properly and effectively
– I enjoy incorporating multimedia in my classes in order to make my lessons entertaining and memorable.
– I am incredibly passionate about my work and will go the extra mile to ensure that my students pay attention and are able to complete the lessons they are given.