Introduction
Hello! My name is Samantha Wong. I am born in Vancouver, B.C. I consider English my second native language as I interchange between Cantonese and English in my daily life. In addition, I have continued to develop a keen interest in languages. After my parents enrolled me in Mandarin school when I was young, I became a fluent Mandarin speaker. Throughout the years, I have learned French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Spanish, gaining a basic understanding of reading, writing, and speaking.
My Path to Education
I have been inspired to become a teacher by my high school English teacher, Mr. Cheung. He was very energetic and full of life, showing me a different way of teaching. He taught me to think beyond the box and that things are not what they seem to be. Because of Mr. Cheung, I grew an interest in English. My educational path then started with a degree in English. I graduated from University of Victoria in 2014 and have continued on to pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 2015.
Work Experience
My previous job opportunities have helped me develop as a person and an educator by refining my interpersonal skills as well as developing organisation, flexibility, leadership, teamwork, and communication.
Recently, I have been volunteering for Meals on Wheels organised by Health and Home Care Society of BC to deliver food to a group of seniors or individuals who may need help to ease the duty of cooking due to personal circumstances. Through this program, I have been able to build connections with the community as well as having the opportunity to help those in need any way I can.
At Tim Hortons and Hakkasan Bistro Café, I take on the role as a customer service representative, allowing me to interact directly with a diverse demographic. Beginning my careers with no previous experience, I quickly learned to accept my mistakes and view constructive criticism positively in order to develop and grow as a person. I was able to refine my social skills and become comfortable speaking to unfamiliar people in a new environment. Experience in a setting where things are not always the same and meeting new challenges every day gave me the opportunity to become more flexible and to approach situations with leadership as well as working and communicating as a team with my coworkers.
Teaching-Related Experience
At the start of January 2016, I started the position of TTOC for BC Muslim School in Richmond. I have the chance to teach students in all general subjects and learn about the Muslim religion and culture through the position. My knowledge grows from my experience in the school as I am able to teach students in various grades from Kindergarten to Grade 7. I currently am teaching a grade 1 and 2 class, planning, developing, and implementing the BC curriculum. I am also part of the Gotcha and Health and Well Being Committees as an active member of the team. As educators, we work closely together to plan what is best for the students.
During 2016, I worked at City Vancouver Academy and have gained experience with the BC Curriculum for grades 8-12. At the centre, I am able to come in contact with various grades of students in order to help them improve on their English through intricately planned lessons for each individual student, including preparations for the students taking the mandatory provincial examinations. I am able to learn from the students and to know more about students’ needs, finding ways to scaffold lessons for the students.
Beginning August 2015, I was given the opportunity to be a part of Jumpstart Academy as a supervisor and teacher to teach children learning the English language as well as in other subjects including Creative Writing and Creative Engineering. Through the various subjects I taught, my students ranged from age 2-16. My position allowed for me to view the various ranges of learning abilities and to adapt to the most effective teaching tools for each student. I organise the teaching curriculum as well as administrative work for the company.
In the month of June 2015, I was given the chance to teach in Switzerland for three weeks as part of my extended practicum hosted by UBC and PH Zurich. I had the opportunity to teach English to ELLs in grades 4, 5, and 6. I was able to see a different curriculum and different styles of teaching during my stay. The experience was an eye-opener; I was able to adapt and work well along with the students for the duration of my stay at the school in Thalwil.
From September 2014 until June 2015, I had the privilege of working closely with a class of 30 grade 6/7 students at Daniel Woodward Elementary. From March until the first week of June I conducted my 10-week practicum as part of my Bachelors of Education degree program. Working with the students and my School Advisor, we worked through all subject areas, organising a field trip for their Ancient China unit for Social Studies, and had the opportunity to work on report cards with ReportMaker as well.
As a day care assistant for ages 3-5 at University of Victoria Child Care Services Centre, I was able to observe and experience firsthand the development of children at the most crucial and influential years of their lives. With a core group of 26 children, I was able to develop as an educator through the processes of gaining and sharing knowledge with the children. I learned that we are always learning even though we take on the role of an educator, enabling ourselves to see beyond our own experiences and expanding our knowledge through the experience of others.
At Kumon Learning Centre, I was provided with the opportunity of being able to help kids between the ages of 2-18. I realised that because of the wide age range amongst our learners, different teaching styles are needed. Each student learns differently and faces different issues that may affect his or her development.
Through my experiences with children, I have developed the idea that as an educator, I need to provide students with the opportunity to utilise their own unique experiences in order to help them better understand the world. As a person who has worked with students just beginning to enter the educational system, the social aspect of schooling is just as important as the academic. Lack of awareness about appropriate and inappropriate behaviours is common for young children. Helping them determine right from wrong is one responsibility of the educator.