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I am thrilled to be teaching a third year at Whitgift Summer School, albeit in a new way!

A UK qualified teacher, I have been teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages since 2013. I also teach GCSE English Language and IELTS and I enjoy developing academic writing skills and pronunciation. I believe my love for meeting people from diverse cultures started at a young age as a product of expatriate parents. I grew up watching my dad, a university professor, teach around the world and so many years were spent living and studying in 4 out of the 7 continents, from Papua New Guinea to Wales.

Whitgift Summer School has been the perfect environment for me to team up and collaborate with teachers who have international experience working with young people. In previous years teaching at the school, it has been extremely rewarding to see all our English language learners build confidence in their English skills.

One of the things I have enjoyed most about teaching at Whitgift has been the care and attention given to every young person. and the fact their individual needs are considered with empathy. I am confident that the school this summer will strive to maintain the same ethos for students studying online.

I have a passion for e-learning so when the UK experienced its first lockdown last year, I saw this as a tremendous opportunity for my students and me to explore new ways of learning. However, I also felt the need to understand how learning could effectively take place online. I immediately enrolled on a short online course with the Open University called ‘Taking your teaching online’, gained a certificate and used many of the strategies to enhance my student’s engagement, participation and learning. Since then, I have continued to improve my online teaching skills and have achieved a Microsoft Innovative Educator badge. I am also currently working on an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and TESOL and therefore have first-hand experience of being a student on Microsoft Teams rather than a teacher!

Have you tried using Microsoft OneNote as a digital tool in your learning? This is much like a physical notebook but so much more. In our online class, we create a digital classroom notebook with our class notes but also embedded with the video and audio clips you produce. You can use it to collaborate with your classmates, for example, to analyse academic texts. By having these texts readily available, you can read how other writers use structure and language techniques so that you can develop your own writing. Share your digital notebook with your writing, images and videos using a presentation tool such as Microsoft Sway to anyone you like! You are part of a great summer school, and because of its commitment to excellence, it encourages teachers to be innovative and engaging and to bring out the best in you.

In your online class, you can develop your speaking fluency with your classmates by participating in discussions. Some of my favourite questions to ask Whitgift Summer School teenagers are: What do you think is the most important quality in a teacher and why? What are your aspirations and dreams for the future? We always get a good debate going!

I can’t wait to meet you this summer!