Student well-being, alongside learning, is at the heart of my practice. I am always amazed by how young people interact and engage with texts. As a result, the English classroom is a unique space filled with wonder, excitement, and an abundance of different ideas and perspectives. Through the academic study of literature and an appreciation of language, I plan for my students to be well-rounded and prepared for university and beyond. I consider myself a creative, diligent, and caring person who forms positive relationships with colleagues, students, and the parent body. The behavior I expect from students is precisely what I endeavor to model myself: honesty, integrity, openness, and a keen desire to collaborate. Recently, our English department has adopted a flexible and responsive approach to feedback, whereby we target needs and challenge strengths in a supportive, specific, and helpful manner. We always provide plenty of challenges to help fuel students' curiosity outside the classroom. We aim to maintain high expectations of all our students and scaffold where appropriate to facilitate the accessibility of the curriculum to all. After much dialogue and decision-making with colleagues, we recently planned a superb new curriculum for our DP Language and Literature students, tackling global issues such as racism and gender inequality through various literary and non-literary texts. We have also initiated and supported whole-school climate Change projects, such as writing persuasive letters to state governors.
I see education as much more than simply the transferral of knowledge, and I try to approach teaching holistically. We must nurture our students' emotional intelligence as much as their intellect. I understand the benefits school councils can have on the community and the pastoral side of schooling. Seeking out student feedback about departmental and whole-school issues can Help develop a positive and empowered cohort of young people. A life-long learner, I recently started a YouTube channel. I hope to continue growing based on whatever curricula my students must tackle. I am genuinely passionate about teaching, and when I see students converted to the world of reading, storytelling, drama, and appreciating poetry and motivated to write, argue, and debate, I remember why I started teaching in the first place.