About Myself
I strive to incorporate a creative approach to teaching and teaching out to students, which in turn encourages them to become motivated and active learners in their classrooms and the school environment. I am a dedicate and hard working teacher, who proves to be reliable, as I demonstrate sincere dedication and a responsible attitude towards my work. Students immediately respond to my keen and compassionate personality. I am very active in extracurricular activities. Throughout the academic year, I have organized various field trips, such as skiing at Blue Mountain and attending the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum, The Green Show at Exhibition Place, the annual Maple Syrup Festival at the Kortright Centre for Forest Conservation, and the local Library. Moreover, I have been regularly writing in the school newspaper about these extracurricular activities.
During my full-time tenure from September 2011 - June 2013, as a teacher at Nile Academy High school, I was a the head faculty member of the Social Sciences Department. I thought many academic courses, such as Gr.12 Canadian and World Issues (CGW4U), Gr.12 Canadian and World Politics (CPW4U), Gr.12 World History(CHY4U), Gr.12 International Business (BBB4M), Gr.ll Canadian Law (CLU3M), Gr.11 Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology (HSP3M), Gr.I0 Civics (CHV20), Gr.I0 Careers (GLC20), Gr.10 Canadian History (CHC2D). Hence, as the majority of my students were ESL students, who are international students from abroad, I have had the chance to flourish as a professional in the field of teaching and build an excellent command over the subject and the ability to address the unique needs of each student. As a result, having the opportunity to work as a full-time high school teacher, whilst taking on the duties as the head of the Social Sciences department, I have learned to incorporate my background experiences into creating lessons that support ‘multiple identities’ in the classroom.
In addition to my professional teaching and academic excellence, I have an outstanding record of public and community service (CCVT – Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board, South Asian Family Support Services, Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund, ICNA, Culture Link, Scarborough General Hospital – Celebrating our Diversity, ATIO – Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario). As a result, I have sincerely volunteered hundreds of hours of my time to the overall betterment of the community and way of life. In addition, I have even received two Ontario Volunteer Awards from the Honourable Premier of Ontario. By and large, I have earned the Golden Key Award, for outstanding academic recognition from the University of Toronto – ranking in the top 15% of the faculty and scoring a GPA of 4.00.
Most importantly, I am very conscious of the importance in helping students achieve their utmost academic potential. I rigorously prepare students for both the academic and real world. I strongly believe that pragmatics and life-long skills are essential in helping students become respectful, kind and enthusiastic civic learners and performers. After teaching students via intense university-level prep, students have thanked me for my sincere and caring approach to helping them become successful learners. Most of my students are now in post-secondary studies and /or are completing high school and they are very excited to share their stories of success!
As my students recall, I have always taught them to keep on a positive attitude at ALL times, and they remember my famous saying 'Yes, I can do this!' Hence, my teaching philosophy portrays a holistic Reiki approach, which has amazing academic results on my students. In other words, my goal is to have my students change their mind-set to a more positive outlook to school and daily life. I welcome my second language learners, by making my classroom a place where students look forward to coming every day, and help them to feel empowered and determined to achieve academic success and become civic life long learners.
Hence, in regards to my social and cultural self, I have come to better understand, through my public service, educational and teaching experiences, that we need to continue to acknowledge / support multiple identities in the classroom. I would like to share a quote from Franson & Holliday, which emphasizes this:
“Student-teachers need to be made aware that learners bring multiple identities to the classroom, and to language learning and use, and to consider how they can use this knowledge to develop responsive curricula and pedagogy.”
(pg.43, Franson & Holliday: Leung, Harris, and Rampton, 1997)
Overall, the authors of Ch.4 ‘Social and Cultural Perspectives,’ by Franson and Holliday, clearly indicate that there is need for teacher education programs to promote awareness of the ‘power of language,’ as teaching ESL can inherently carry a political, social and economic connotation:
“In addition, teacher education programs should include opportunities to investigate more fully the concept of culture as a dynamic, multifaceted, ideological, and political construct.” (pg.44, Franson & Holliday)
During my full-time tenure from September 2011 - June 2013, as a teacher at Nile Academy High school, I was a the head faculty member of the Social Sciences Department. I thought many academic courses, such as Gr.12 Canadian and World Issues (CGW4U), Gr.12 Canadian and World Politics (CPW4U), Gr.12 World History(CHY4U), Gr.12 International Business (BBB4M), Gr.ll Canadian Law (CLU3M), Gr.11 Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology (HSP3M), Gr.I0 Civics (CHV20), Gr.I0 Careers (GLC20), Gr.10 Canadian History (CHC2D). Hence, as the majority of my students were ESL students, who are international students from abroad, I have had the chance to flourish as a professional in the field of teaching and build an excellent command over the subject and the ability to address the unique needs of each student. As a result, having the opportunity to work as a full-time high school teacher, whilst taking on the duties as the head of the Social Sciences department, I have learned to incorporate my background experiences into creating lessons that support ‘multiple identities’ in the classroom.
In addition to my professional teaching and academic excellence, I have an outstanding record of public and community service (CCVT – Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board, South Asian Family Support Services, Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund, ICNA, Culture Link, Scarborough General Hospital – Celebrating our Diversity, ATIO – Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario). As a result, I have sincerely volunteered hundreds of hours of my time to the overall betterment of the community and way of life. In addition, I have even received two Ontario Volunteer Awards from the Honourable Premier of Ontario. By and large, I have earned the Golden Key Award, for outstanding academic recognition from the University of Toronto – ranking in the top 15% of the faculty and scoring a GPA of 4.00.
Most importantly, I am very conscious of the importance in helping students achieve their utmost academic potential. I rigorously prepare students for both the academic and real world. I strongly believe that pragmatics and life-long skills are essential in helping students become respectful, kind and enthusiastic civic learners and performers. After teaching students via intense university-level prep, students have thanked me for my sincere and caring approach to helping them become successful learners. Most of my students are now in post-secondary studies and /or are completing high school and they are very excited to share their stories of success!
As my students recall, I have always taught them to keep on a positive attitude at ALL times, and they remember my famous saying 'Yes, I can do this!' Hence, my teaching philosophy portrays a holistic Reiki approach, which has amazing academic results on my students. In other words, my goal is to have my students change their mind-set to a more positive outlook to school and daily life. I welcome my second language learners, by making my classroom a place where students look forward to coming every day, and help them to feel empowered and determined to achieve academic success and become civic life long learners.
Hence, in regards to my social and cultural self, I have come to better understand, through my public service, educational and teaching experiences, that we need to continue to acknowledge / support multiple identities in the classroom. I would like to share a quote from Franson & Holliday, which emphasizes this:
“Student-teachers need to be made aware that learners bring multiple identities to the classroom, and to language learning and use, and to consider how they can use this knowledge to develop responsive curricula and pedagogy.”
(pg.43, Franson & Holliday: Leung, Harris, and Rampton, 1997)
Overall, the authors of Ch.4 ‘Social and Cultural Perspectives,’ by Franson and Holliday, clearly indicate that there is need for teacher education programs to promote awareness of the ‘power of language,’ as teaching ESL can inherently carry a political, social and economic connotation:
“In addition, teacher education programs should include opportunities to investigate more fully the concept of culture as a dynamic, multifaceted, ideological, and political construct.” (pg.44, Franson & Holliday)