Knowing your students and their backgrounds is crucial, in order to adapt any content for all - Colin Jones

After graduating with a BA in Education, Colin pursued a career in teaching. He has taught in cities across Europe and the Middle East, working with students from a wide range of countries.

How do you adapt teaching methodologies to cater to the diverse cultural and learning styles of international students?

By having an inclusive classroom, where every student has a voice and is heard. Knowing your students and their backgrounds is crucial, in order to adapt any content for all. To overcome language barriers, - thesauruses, glossaries and translation tools are also useful to help all.

What role does technology play in your classroom? How do you use it to enhance learning and engagement?

Technology allows us to access a range of knowledge at the click of a button. It’s also used for a variety of assessment tools ‘blooket etc’ but it’s only ever used alongside, never instead of.

What strategies do you use to foster intercultural understanding among your students?

An environment of respect is embedded. I try to create an environment where every voice is heard and more importantly respected. Everybody is learning together.

What advice do you give students to develop effective study habits and develop their language skills?

Little and often.

Change their methods up. Sometimes verbal, sometimes written, sometimes enjoyable, sometimes serious. To make something a habit, is to do it subconsciously.

What are the most significant challenges you've faced as an international school teacher?

Bringing the different backgrounds together, under the same umbrella of rules to ensure all voices are heard is difficult, but very rewarding and beneficial for all.

How have your experiences in different countries shaped your teaching?

I feel enriched with knowledge. We learn from every interaction we have, when those interactions are with people from a plethora of countries, we are incredibly fortunate.