Posted inEnglish Language Learners, Featured, Instructional Strategies, The Traveling Teacher

They’re Just Not That into Learning English

As educators, we all know that teaching has its ups and downs. Some days you love it, some days you feel defeated. Although the teaching profession here in Taiwan is widely revered and respected, and being an English teacher is a highly coveted role, the truth is that sometimes my students just aren’t that into […]

Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Opinion, The International Teacher, The Traveling Teacher

Taiwan English Teaching Assistant: Things I Learned in My First Five Months of Teaching

from Kinmen, Taiwan It is almost time for us to go on our 2 ½ week vacation for Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and I wanted to share some things I learned in my first few months of teaching English in Taiwan. Think inside the box– In my first month of teaching I felt pressured to […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, The International Teacher, The Traveling Teacher

Precision is the Key: My Experiences as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Taiwan

  At JinNing Elementary School, there are no custodians. I arrive on my bike each morning around 8:15 to find students, from pre-school to sixth grade carrying out their daily morning cleaning chores, frolicking throughout the school yard raking leaves, mopping floors, or collecting trash. It’s funny to see the students playing in the sudsy […]

Posted inConfessions of a Teacher, Opinion, Social Studies, The Traveling Teacher

Recharging Your Teaching Battery During Summer Vacation

I’m standing on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, far away from wifi and cell service and anything familiar at the start of my summer vacation. I’m fascinated with the lighting strikes and thunderstorm moving rapidly along the opposite rim. Amateur photographers snap images in 20-second intervals, trying to capture an unforgettable moment but […]

Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Middle School, Social Studies, The Traveling Teacher

The New Teacher in a New Country, and Year 9 in IB Geography

By Guest Writer Melissa Kandido Melissa Kandido teaches IB Art, IB History, IB English, & IB Geography for middle and upper grades at the Windhoek International School in Windhoek, Namibia.  She is sharing with us her experiences and adventures this year as an international educator and IB teacher.   Joining  a school community from a point […]