About me

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Reportedly, when the great cellist Pablo Casals was asked why, at quite an advanced age, he was still devoting time to practice, he replied that it was because he thought he was making progress. I revere this mindset of always striving to learn and to improve no matter what successes one might have notched up along the way. I am, perhaps in the truest sense, the quintessential perennial student. I learn when I teach and I teach when I learn. I believe (and yes, we should always hold up our beliefs to the light of scrutiny) that satisfaction can lead to an environment of complacency...and perhaps even mediocrity. 

This is not to say that I’m never pleased with the way a lesson went, with my work on an assignment, or with how I dealt with a critical incident. No, I own the moment and allow myself to feel satisfied. But then I look at how I might do even better the next time...Because there’s always a next time. 

I’ve taught at 8 schools and 3 universities in 3 different countries. Each move was made after about two years or as soon as I became aware of being in a comfort zone. The idea was always to seek out new challenges and new opportunities for growth.

As recent as three years ago, I moved into the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) sphere. This branch of TESOL, in my opinion, has endless opportunities for development. This can be achieved through extraordinary challenges of learning, researching, collaborating, creating, and teaching. I’ve found my calling and I’m here to stay. It is here in the land of EAP that I feel most fulfilled. And it is here that I believe I can make a real difference...even if only in the smallest way.

A few years ago, after I got the full Cambridge Delta, and while I was completing my MA TESOL, I was sent on my own to Angola for three months to design and teach a course for oil rig workers. I had no official English for Specific Purposes (ESP) training at the time, but I believe what helped me make the experience a success for all stakeholders was my diligence, organisational skills, and interest in seeing each one of my students reach their goal. This was meaningful and rewarding work, and I dedicated myself to the task at hand with unwavering zeal. My creativity and flexibility skills were tested and developed when there were power cuts that could last for days, and when I discovered early on that some of my students were illiterate. It was here that I learned about the value of collaboration and finding solutions together. 

I now realise that there are only two kinds of learning that matter: learning about others...and learning about yourself. Welcome to my blog. I hope you find something that resonates with you.



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