Teaching skills: Having successfully completed my Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year at Grendon Primary School, I am very enthusiastic about exploring the exciting teaching experience and culture that China can offer. This year I have taken responsibility for the progress and well-being of 22 children aged 6 to 7 and catered for a variety of personal and ability needs. Personalising learning for numerous children with English as an additional language (EAL) has given me a real insight into how early learners of English learn the language and contributed to an ever-growing bank of resources and ideas to engage and support them. Throughout this year I have applied a variety of differentiation techniques (such as ability and mixed ability groupings) to cater for each child’s learning needs. I have used a variety of resources to engage and interest children (such as ICT and outdoor activities) and have created a classroom ethos to encourage children to be confident and reflective (through giving them control of their learning and assessing their own progress). Furthermore, I was able to develop positive relationships with the pupils through a range of consistent behaviour management strategies.

Teaching flexibility: My adaptability and readiness to learn allows me to face new challenges, cultures and expectations with confidence and a reflective attitude. Throughout my teacher training and teaching career I have worked with a variety of age ranges and I have shown my ability to stay composed and improvise when situations change on short notice; for example, I have worked with different classes to cover an absent teacher). Adapting my teaching style and activities to the pupils I taught in Uganda was a challenge I relished. It served well to deepen my understanding of the cultural differences in educational attitudes, philosophies and facilities. Whilst the majority of my teaching experience and expertise lies with children aged 6 to 11, I am equally keen to work with teenagers and young people. My adaptability skills along with my ability to form positive relationships with all ages, equips me well for this new challenge.         

Communication and team work: Throughout my employment and teacher training I have worked effectively with children, parents and staff alike. As shown through my lesson observations this year, I have demonstrated competence when acting on feedback and when deploying my teaching assistants. During University, leading teams of Student Ambassadors came naturally to me as well as taking advice and instructions from my seniors. Adapting ways of appropriate communication for parents, senior management, pupils and co-workers has significantly contributed to my communication and cooperation skills.

Creativity and initiative: Creativity is another strength of mine that has developed through my lessons this year where I have experimented with a variety of resources and teaching approaches. Leading drama workshops for Dream Perform Achieve (DPA) has provided me with the opportunity to create and adapt sessions for 6 to 11 year old children. The TEFL Course has also provided me with training on how to creatively use limited resources and increase student self-esteem.  
  
Cultural curiosity: Travelling Uganda for 5 weeks and inter-railing Europe for 4 weeks has given me a real appetite for a longer stay in China to gain deeper experience of the lifestyle and culture available. Shanghai is a vastly developed metropolitan city that maintains traditions; thus the prospect of being part of this exciting forward moving environment is very appealing to me.   

Subject knowledge: After successfully completing the 120 hour TEFL Course I now feel fully equipped for the exciting challenge of teaching abroad with my improved grammar knowledge and focused insight into the challenges of teaching abroad.