MY STORY

Meet the face behind teacher_abroad_

Hello again.

Allow me to share a little more about myself and my reasons for studying and living in Spain this year.

I started my teaching career in 2014 in South Africa where I taught Highschool for a few years. South Africa, fondly referred to as the ‘Rainbow Nation’ is a diverse and complex country. I am proud of my heritage and to have grown up in a country with such a variety of cultures, languages and people. A prominent poet from South Africa Anjie Krog put it perfectly when she wrote: "The kind of light needed to form a rainbow is sunlight. But sunlight contains all colours. One could therefore suggest a rainbow cannot even begin to exist if it's not inclusive". My experience teaching in this Rainbow Nation has influenced the trajectory and choices of the rest of my career and I have chosen to teach in colourful and diverse environments ever since.

Being an international school teacher has allowed me the opportunity to interact with cultures, people, food and languages. In my teaching practice, I am passionate about using the natural environment to enhance students' learning experiences.

After a few years of teaching in my home country, I decided it was time to try stretch my travel legs, so to speak, and be active about making some big changes in my life. I packed my bags and moved to Vietnam without a job or any idea what to expect. I had some connections in Hanoi so I decided to begin my journey there.

I taught in my first primary school and knew that this was where I wanted to continue my learning and career as a teacher.

Now, over eight years in teaching and six years since dipping my toes into the elementary school teaching pool, I have committed this year to full time learning by completing my MA in School Management in Madrid, Spain. Hopefully, by continuing to value learning and growth myself, I can inspire the same motivation in my students and instill in them the importance of always seeking knowledge and understanding, as well as developing new skills.