Hayley: South Africa: Jul 01, 2021

'Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.' This quote truly represents what I feel makes a successful teacher. Certain skills, strategies and personality traits contribute to the makings of a successful teacher, but it is important that teachers care about their students. Some skills and strategies that I will bring to the classroom include patience, creativity, the ability to get down on a child's level, a willingness to not only impart knowledge, but to learn from my students, and the ability to adapt to change. Accommodating various learning styles is key. Overall, and where applicable and appropriate, I love for my lessons to be fun, creative and unorthodox.

I was fortunate enough to work mostly with children during the completion of my practicum hours during my Psychology degree. I had the opportunity to develop and implement psycho-educational exercises with children of various ages and backgrounds. I have also worked as a tutor, both privately and at my university. I had a volunteer experience that allowed me to work with young children that did not speak English very well. I had to implement educational exercises with the help of a co-teacher. I then worked as an au pair in the US, where I looked after two children who experience learning difficulties. Most recently, I worked as an English language instructor in both China and South Korea, teaching students aged 5-15 years old.