Teacher Feature – Mr Ben

Teacher Feature – Mr Ben 

 

Briefly describe your journey as a teacher.

 

I changed my profession and moved into teaching after working in catering management. I retrained in the UK as an EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher and then moved to Bangkok, Thailand. There, I worked in a private language school teaching students of all ages, from Key Stage 1 upwards, IELTS to students applying for universities overseas, right through to adults teaching business English. After spending four years in Thailand, I moved to Budapest, taking on a role in the primary EAL department of The British International School of Budapest, where I worked for the last ten years. Recently, I moved to Nadeen.

 

Why did you decide to specialise in your chosen area?

 

I chose to teach EAL because I believe that language education can help children, adults, and communities who do not speak English as their first language overcome disadvantages. I have always been fascinated by the connections between words in the English language, and I am a strong believer in teaching through a multi-lingual approach that respects and listens to all languages. Seeing the progress of non-English speaking students through EAL sessions using their mother tongue to support their learning still brings me enormous satisfaction every day.

 

 

What makes Nadeen such a unique place to work?

 

I think that Nadeen School has an incredible community atmosphere and a wonderful child-centred approach. Although I joined the school in the brand new campus, I feel that the spirit and atmosphere from the smaller school have been transferred over. You can see and feel this through the children, staff, and wider community on a daily basis.

 

How would you describe a typical day at Nadeen?

 

My typical day at Nadeen sees me working with students from Year 2 up to Year 8. The range of abilities, languages, and ages of our students means that no two days are the same. This variety makes my days engaging, fun, and full of excitement.