I am inspired to teach by my love of learning and communicating, and by the reward of helping others to develop their understanding of the world and their ability to express ideas, as well as for personal and professional development.
Studying philosophy and history, planning career and further studies options, and extensive wider thinking and reading developed my ability to understand, organise and communicate complex ideas clearly. Teaching English as a foreign language and charity fundraising work taught me the importance of clear communication, enthusiasm, exemplary body language, and frequent praise and encouragement. Proofreading and social media evaluation roles developed my sense checking and correction skills.
I love creating and developing lessons and educational materials that inspire and enable students to think, to connect the curriculum to the modern world and to their everyday experiences, and to develop cognitively and intellectually. I understand the value of helping students to structure their ideas and to organise their work with access to plenty of resources to help them to prepare for exams. I value not 'levelling-down' learning by providing sufficiently complex ideas, but balancing this with taking care with differentiation and to not leave any student behind.
Whilst volunteering as a Teaching Assistant, I acknowledged a student's interests and skill in an expressive piece of their writing and encouraged them to develop their ideas. Feeling that I had enthused them and boosted their self-confidence was a rewarding experience which boosted my self-esteem. It also reminded me that everyone is trying their best and of the value of recognising and supporting each individual's interests, efforts, skills and challenges. Whilst covering an English class, I noticed that asking students what they thought the characters in George Orwell's Animal Farm represented stopped them from talking and misbehaving as they began to focus their thinking and to learn.
Complex, verbal communication intensive environments motivate me and help me to focus. I am diligently self-analytical, and I am keen to develop my communication and class management skills as well as my understanding of diverse issues in education.
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