Courageous Conversations for Change
One courageous conversation can change your life!
My Bio
Teacher/ Trainer. Facilitator. Coach. Positive Psychology and Well-Being Practitioner. Learning Designer.
I started my career as a classroom teacher, but for nearly a decade now I have worked as a training consultant providing bespoke professional development programmes in schools and corporate organizations. I have worked at a systemic level by designing and implementing learning and development plans, a team/ department level by shaping the ways teams work together through training and facilitation, and on an individual level through coaching.
There are two major influences in my work- my work as a educator and my work in Well-being. After finishing a Masters of Teaching, I began my career as an educator in international and government schools. This experience taught me how to teach complicated concepts in a relatable, practical, actionable way. I also learned how to design and implement long term programs that promote group and individual growth. I learned how to harness interpersonal dynamics to create a learning community that is dedicated to the growth of all its members. I also learned that the best learning spaces honour and make space for the humans in the room- this began my journey into Positive Psychology and Well-being.
My Masters of Positive Psychology and Emotional Intelligence practitioner qualification has allowed me to design learning experiences that seek out and amplify the unique capacities of individuals. Although I have been facilitating Well-being sessions and programs for several years now, the current pandemic highlighted the importance of this work for me. I am propelled by my belief that everyone needs and deserves a space to be seen, feel connected, and allowed to grow; coupled with my knowledge and experience of education and learning and development, this makes me a powerful advocate, ally, and catalyst for learning and growth at an individual and organizational level.
Professional History
Training Consultant, British Council Singapore
March 2014-Current
I have consulted with nearly 100 schools in Singapore and the ASEAN region to support the training needs of teachers and teacher leaders. I work with individual schools, the Ministry of Education on island wide projects, and other education institutions such as museums.
In addition to my work in schools, I am a trainer for the corporate skills training team at British Council and deliver courses in emotional intelligence and communication skills. In this role, I worked with staff, including the C-suite, of large corporate organizations such as Hewlett Packard.
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Additionally, I held the internal post of Staff Development for British Council Singapore. This role involved conducting a needs analysis, coordinating with department heads to write a year long training plan, delivering training and coaching, sourcing external speakers, and coordinating an annual training day for internal and external speakers.
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Teacher Mentor, British Council Malaysia
2013
British Council was commissioned by the Malaysian Ministry of Education to provide classroom mentors for primary teachers to support the implementation of their revised English Language curriculum.
In this role, I worked with individual teachers, English departments and the School leadership teams in a cluster of 5 schools. My work included regularly visiting my trainees’ schools to mentor and support teachers in their classrooms. At the end of the project, my team organized and hosted a conference for teachers to show case new skills with over 500 participants in attendance.
Waikato Institute of Education, Hamilton, New Zealand
Adult English teacher. In this role, I helped develop the English proficiency of students to serve their professional and academic aspirations.
2011-2013
Literacy Teacher, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Full Time middle school (ages 11-14) literacy teacher in a public school.
August 2010-August 2011
Koc School, Istanbul, Turkey
Full time middle school English teacher in an international school in Istanbul
August 2006-August 2010
Other
2000-2006
Outdoor, experiential education, and ropes course facilitator at Camp Rockmont (Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA) and Triple C Camp (Charlottesville, VA)
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Teacher of the Summer (student voted), Upward Bound program at University of Virginia for first generation college students
Education and Qualifications
Masters of Applied Positive Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University
(Distinction) In this program, I studied the science of human flourishing. This enables me to support the Well-being of individuals and organizations through positive interventions and programs.
October 2019- October 2020
Post Graduate Diploma in Positive Organizational Psychology and Leadership, The School of Positive Psychology Singapore
(Distinction) In this program, I studied the science behind how we can prepare for more successful lives and better wellbeing, through challenging existing cognitive and emotional patterns and encouraging positivity with evidence-based activities.that are relevant to your personal and professional world today.
October 2018-October 2019
Emotional Intelligence Practitioner Certificate, 6 Seconds Singapore
This certification allows me to use the science of emotion to explicitly teach emotion skills and help individuals use emotions as data for more effective decision making.
2015
Masters of Teaching, Unversity of Virginia
This program enables me to use my understanding of how people best learn and to design individual and group learning experiences that maximize growth.
August 2004- October 2006
BA, English Language and Literature, The College of William and Mary
This degree developed my competencies as a strong communicator and writer and fortified my belief that reading teaches us valuable life skills and helps us be more human.
2000-2004