Experience Summary
After graduating from MTSU, I went to Prague, Czech Republic to train and work as a teacher of English as a foreign language. I secured a position at Bell School International. Here I taught mostly adult students but I also had a few high school classes. I found it was more satisfying teaching the younger students and so I looked for work at the elementary level. At Horackova Elementary, I taught 6th to 9th grade English. I had a great rapport with all the students and enjoyed planning for the array of levels and age groups. However, I was the only teacher there who spoke English and felt alienated from the school. As a result, I made the difficult decision to return to the United States.
Teaching Style
I seek a student-centered classroom with a balance of authority and trustworthiness in the teacher so that the students respect me while at the same time feeling comfortable to share their ideas freely. I like for students to apply what they learn soon after the lesson. For example, if the subject was math, and we had been doing multiplication by flash cards, I might ask a question about the number of squares on a chess board. The idea is to firmly ground the students with their comfort zone as foundation and build upon their confidence with new ways of applying what they have learned so that they continue thinking outside of the rote lesson.