silvia vazquez

I am a fully qualified and experienced native Spanish Language Teacher. I have over 10 years of experience in both American and International schools’ environments and have taught to the British, IB DP MYP and American Curriculums (bilingual and non-bilingual programs). I have experience working as a Lead teacher for four years in Doha (QA), and as MFL Spanish teacher in Dubai (UAE), Louisiana and New Mexico (US) and Poland and Spain (EU). 

I would describe my teaching style in the following way:

One of my primary goals of teaching is to help students build a solid foundation in the language learning process. I truly enjoy inspiring my students to be risk takers and become the best that they can be. During the facilitation of their learning, I promote critical thinking and enable students to see themselves as part of a global society. I want to connect language and cultural content concepts to students’ life experiences to maintain their interest in the subject. Students are much more likely to engage in a subject if they believe the topic is important to them. Additionally, students will better internalize a subject if they become involved in it.

 I have developed many valuable skills while teaching diverse groups of students in terms of ages (children-teenagers-adults) styles (VAK) or backgrounds (from illiterate to gifted students). I am adept at individualizing the curriculum to meet each child's different needs and designing resourceful lesson plans that accommodate differing learning abilities and interests. I must add that, I consider Middle School particularly challenging but, far from being an inconvenience, that circumstance transforms teaching in a unique opportunity for my professional growth.

I am passionate about empowering children and helping them to develop their full potential. Part of this process includes close interaction with parents to encourage participation and reinforce learning in the home while building the child's self-esteem and confidence. I have participated in numerous professional developments training courses, allowing me to enhance my teaching techniques and implement engaging activities, which facilitate all styles of learners.

I enjoy being creative and utilizing new ideas and approaches to improve the learning environment. I incorporate hands-on activities to accommodate multiple intelligence, encourage student learning, consolidate important concepts, and enhance student’s academic skills, including technology integration. Furthermore, I establish a relaxed atmosphere that promotes socialization and real-world connections, as well as open and honest communication. 

Currently I am willing to improve and update my professional skills due to the new approaches arising in the 21st. century education and the new challenges offered by the incursion of new technologies in the classrooms.

Regarding my qualifications, I have a Postgraduate in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, a Master of History and Geography and a University Certification in “Secondary Teaching Education” (issued by different Universities in Spain).