COVID Culture

The COVID pandemic changed how I saw my future unfolding. As I watched my teenage daughter initially struggle with the shift to distance learning, something began to shift in me. And so began my journey to becoming an International Master TEFL Instructor and a Building Substitute for Stonington Public Schools.

As I watched my daughter and her friends slowly adapted to “remote life”, albeit with more than a few challenges. As we churned into year two of pandemic life, I began thinking about the myriad of students who were likely also struggling to adapt both emotionally and socially. As the loss of life continued to rise and we knocked on the door of 2021, I began to feel an indescribable pull to make a drastic change in my life. Click here to learn about my journey to becoming an international TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) instructor and Building Sub with Stonington Public Schools.

Not My First Rodeo

There have been other times in my life that I’ve strived to advance my education. In 2014, I found myself suddenly unemployed and just a few months later, we lost my Dad to lung cancer. He was diagnosed on a Monday and passed Saturday, August 30th.

In 2006, I made the decision to start my own marketing business in order to work from home and raise our daughter Maia, and now found myself in a position to expand those skills. In the fall of 2014, just three days after burying my father, I returned to the University of Rhode Island and in the spring of 2015, earned a certification in Multimedia Design. This allowed me to elevate my 20 years of marketing experience to a level I had only dreamed about.

My TEFL Adventure

As a lover of travel, world cultures, and the English language, Teaching English as a Foreign Language seemed like a great way to immerse myself in the things I’m passionate about.

In the fall of 2021, I completed a 140-hr Master Instructor Certification through mytefl.com. Coursework included 20 hours dedicated to remote/online teaching, which means I can teach students from around the world. Other coursework included sections on Classroom Management, Teaching Approaches, Teaching Speaking, Listening, and Reading, Multimedia Resources, Curriculum Planning, Grammar, Online Teaching, and in-depth coverage of Lexis, Functions, and Phonology.

Substitute Teacher with Stonington Public Schools
2021-22 Building Substitute @ Stonington Middle School

I love creating an energetic, encouraging, and positive learning atmosphere in the absence of teaching staff. I effectively manage class behavior, follow teacher instructions and curriculum, take attendance in PowerSchool, tidy-up between classes, and email absent teachers at the end of the day. I also became a certified Test Proctor and assisted Spanish-speaking students in mainstream classrooms.