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  • James Beall

English Teacher @ St Mary's School, Waverley
Postgraduate Certificate in Education: Teaching La...
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Grade: Middle School, High School
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About James

I am a high school English teacher at St Mary's School in Waverley, Johannesburg. I wasn't always a teacher, though, as my first career was as a lawyer, and I practised for 5 years before making the switch to teaching. I have taught high school English for 3 1/2 years and as cliched as it sounds, my worst day in teaching is still infinitely better than my best as a lawyer. In between my past life in corporate law and starting at St Mary's, my wife and I spent 1 1/2 years teaching English as a foreign language on Jeju Island, South Korea. As different as that was to what I now experience, it did make clear that being around children and helping them grow and learn is where I can make a difference and where I derive the most meaning. I truly love what I do. I read avidly and am an excellent writer and speaker and am passionate about the language. I want to be able to help people make better sense of the world around them and believe I can do a bit of that as a teacher.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATES

Bachelor

University of Cape Town
2008 - 2011

PGCE

University of South Africa
2018 - 2019

Post Graduate

University of Cape Town
2012 - 2013

CONFIRMATION OF REGISTRATION: NEWLY QUALIFIED TEACHER

CONFIRMATION OF REGISTRATION: NEWLY QUALIFIED TEACHER - South African Council for Educators
2021 - 2022

140 Hour TEFL Course

140 Hour TEFL Course - Gatehouse Awards
2019 - 2024

Identity Document

Provided

Criminal Record Check

Provided
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Subjects

Creative Writing ESL English as a Second Language English Essay Writing Literature Poetry Reading Secondary English Technical Writing
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WORK EXPERIENCE

English Teacher

St Mary's School
Jan 2021 - Present

Specialities

I believe that what makes me unique as a teacher is my view on what teaching is. I strongly believe that teaching is about developing skills and understanding. My aim is help students make sense of things themselves in a way which they understand. Content is one thing, but it is a means to developing skills. English, and all languages really, is a means of expression and of viewing the world and understanding others. If we are able to communicate clearly and to skillfully and critically interpret how others communicate, then we can function as better members of society. My goal as a teacher is enable students to build these skills so that they can be used in any context, whether it be at school, university, the work place or generally in daily life.