Description: A small snippet of international teacher Mar W who has his own school.
I have worked abroad since moving to Tokyo in 1988 to work as an FX Broker.
After five years I worked in Bahrain for the same company, returning to Japan in early 1994.
I was to leave in late 1995 and after qualification in Florida, USA, moved to Thailand to teach Scuba-Diving.
I moved to Mindoro, Philippines, in early 1999 to set up my own school. Apo Reef Divers, only to be asked to leave by anti-government rebels, at gunpoint, in early 2000.
Upon return to Europe, after relocating to Spain, I qualified first as a TESOL teacher and then passed my DELTA diploma in 2008.
I returned to Malaga and subsequent to working as the Director of Studies at IH Malaga, opened my own school which was forced to close after three years in 2016.
Teaching Experience
Following my initial Trinity qualification in Barcelona in 2004, I have taught and then also managed both there and in Malaga, Andalucía. After a year’s hiatus, I’ve decided that the challenges and rewards of teaching are what I enjoy most and am eager to become a useful member of your staff.
My experience includes General English, Exam preparation for the Cambridge ESOL suite, Young Learners, Business English and finally EAP, including Engineering and Medical English.
Environments I have taught in include Academies, Private/Public schools, Universities, business premises and private homes.
After an initial three years in Barcelona, I taught at a residential International House Summer Camp in Malaga and was offered the post of Director of Studies shortly after.
I worked with YL teachers on how to motivate their classes to become enthusiastic about reading. After a number of sessions, a plan was put in place which resulted in a league table for books read and subsequent Q & A sessions between the students. The school was rewarded with more enthusiastic students, resulting in better exam results, while the teachers enjoyed lower levels of stress and more exam passes from their learners.
A large client of IH Malaga was the semi-private school where the Summer Camps were held. Unfortunately, after observing a number of classes, I saw that classroom discipline was a problem so held some workshops and timetabled myself with a large group of 7 year-olds.
Parents were delighted to see their offspring filing out quietly to meet them at the end of class and speaking positively about their experiences. As many of the students also came to the Camp, the improved atmosphere was beneficial for the students, teachers and the Academy alike.
I also enjoy making resources and encouraging other teachers to do the same. At an IH Conference in Cordoba in 2008/9 I gave a workshop to staff from around Andalucía on the use of short, publicly available Internet videos in the classroom.
I provided all the DVDs, lesson plans and testing materials for them to give a number of lessons. This led to a library of such classes being built for staff, meaning they could always have a visual element when needed and provide “light” variety for their students, when needed.
My own school focused more on University students who needed a qualification to graduate. Workshops were held to impress upon staff the need for thorough analysis of their learners because English studying time was limited. I wrote Needs Analyses, coupled with timetabling projections, which the teaching staff used to make sure assignments and classes went as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Although an older candidate, my enthusiasm and experience in teaching, coupled with the lessons life has taught me have left me with a positive impression, which I am keen to share with colleagues and students alike.
Register your interest in working with Mar W by contacting us here today.