Matthew Lucas
educator
I was an enlisted member of the Air Force for 6 years working as a network infrastructure and security technician for the Air Education Training Command (AETC), which was comprised of 13 Air Force bases. I learned several network administration tools to remotely maintain the security of local and distant network devices, such as computers, servers, routers, and firewalls to maintain a high degree of security on sensitive equipment. This experience was valuable in that it trained me to maintain current on existing and upcoming cyber communication technologies.
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I began working at ICPNA in an agreement in which I orchestrated English conversation classes for native Spanish speakers in exchange for Spanish language classes; consequently, besides successfully completing the advanced Spanish program at ICPNA, I gained experience preparing and delivering English conversation classes. I was soon hired as an English teacher after acquiring my Peruvian work visa and was promptly trained to teach English using institutional pedagogy, which is based on modern second language teaching methodologies...
Using knowledge and skills for teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at ICPNA I began to deliver classes to students who were unable to attend formal classes. Classes were held at their place of employment according to their schedule. I developed a curriculum for teaching basic English to students as I learned to further navigate the city of Lima using only public transportation.
Importance:
This position was important because I gained experience with:
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The delivery of classes with minimal materials relying on my knowledge to create a syllabus...
I created a YouTube Channel to assist me in private English classes as well as with my current formal position: Verbal Instructor for international exams. I created videos that explained grammar points, including many examples and pictures to enhance student comprehension. I made this channel because I noticed that lectures and explanations are all nearly identical, so I felt that it was a waste of time to repeat the same explanations to different students when I could just create higher quality explanations with plenty of time to create examples and find images, which is cumbersome when doing so on the fly.
Importance:
This experience was important to my professional conditioning because it was a way to preserve my best work at explaining topics, allowing me to devote more resources to student practice and doing other activities, such as reading and writing.
At Kalvirs MBA Consulting I assist students seeking to earn an MBA (Master of Business Administration) in English-speaking MBA programs, such as the TOEFL and IELTS (exams that certify student proficiency in English) and the GMAT (an exam that assesses analytical writing and problem-solving abilities). I teach 1 or 2 students per session using a laptop connected to an outward facing monitor for the students to see. The material use is Kalvirs material on a propriety platform or personally acquired material I’ve accumulated on Google Drive.
Importance:
This position has been of tremendous help because it required me to learn many things beyond teaching English as a foreign language, such as:
As a young adult I had never hoped that I would have the opportunity to learn a second language: being billingual was merely a hopeless dream I had always had. Without many resources or instruction for learning a language, I decided to embark on the journey of acquiring a second language – Spanish. After years of dedication, study, and practice, my dream became a reality, opening my eyes to the linguistic-learning capacity of the human brain.
Importance:
This experience was essential to develop the necessary knowledge and experience that I use to not only teach a language, but also to communicate and maintain interpersonal relationships in Spanish, living in Peru. Learning a new language
After teaching for 8 years, life had directed me to continue my professional development by pursuing a Master of Education degree. Deep learning of many components involved in education has further developed my abilities learned through experience to educate.
Importance:
Besides conditioning and reinforcing my teaching ability, this experience also taught me to succeed academically and to think critically. Instead of being content with and working through problems encountered in the education workplace, I am now able to pinpoint and find solutions for problems in education.
Modern brain-research has enabled us to observe and understand the human brain better than ever. A deeper understanding of the brain's components while engaged enables educators to not only facilitate the learning process by engaging attention and emotion, but also to identify and coordinate to mitigate potentially devastating deficits that negatively impact cognition and the learning process.
Importance:
This program exposed me to modern brain-research that has increased my awareness of classroom practices and design concepts that enhance teaching capacity. This program has also made me aware of typical brain development as a person ages, and common problems that impair our ability to learn.