Meet Our Writer
Meet our writer – Betina
Fuentes
By Carolyn Lee
T
each UAE Magazine first met
Betina Fuentes when she
reached out to us prior to
moving to the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). Her eagerness to
learn as much as possible, share with
fellow educators and her flexibility in
adapting to change, have added to
Betina being able to enjoy a smooth
transition from the United States to the
UAE, her home for the past two years.
Betina discovered her passion for
teaching after she followed the
encouragement of a few friends and
decided to pursue an education
course during her freshman year in
college. At the time, she was fast
losing enthusiasm for her International
Business course, which she was
majoring in. Since then, she has been
a passionate advocate of lifelong
learning and has taken deliberate steps
to advanced herself educationally.
She currently holds a Masters of
Education degree and teaches at a
Cycle 2 girls’ school in Al Ain, where she
also functions as English Department
Coordinator. Betina credits her
excellent professors, who helped to
ignite her passion for teaching and
learning.
home items. I’m obsessed with dishes
and housewares!
You are a versatile writer and
have written for both sections
of the magazine. When did
you discover your passion for
writing?
Get to know a bit about this innovative
educator and find out more about the
things that inspire her love for teaching
and learning.
My passion for writing stemmed
directly from my passion for reading.
I’ve been a voracious reader since
the age of two, and I’ve been writing
stories since elementary school. I
enjoy writing more expository pieces,
since that comes from my love for
teaching. Sharing information and
helping others is my way of teaching
without being physically present.
How many years have you
been a teacher?
How do you stay abreast of
new trends in education?
I’ve been a teacher since 2007. I
finished my bachelor’s degree after my
third child entered preschool.
What has your experience in
the UAE been like so far?
My experience in the UAE has been
absolutely incredible so far. I love the
fact that ADEC supports its teachers
with housing and excellent benefits,
so that we are free to concentrate
our energies on teaching. I would
encourage my fellow expats to
become more engaged with the
local teachers, as they have a
wealth of cultural insight that
can help with adjusting to the
country and understanding our
students.
What are two fun
things you like to do
by yourself?
When I do get time
to myself (rare since
I have a toddler), I
love to head to the
beach and relax and
recharge. Another
solo pastime is
shopping
for
I rely on social media for a great deal of
new information about teaching. Sites
like Edutopia, Organized Classroom
and of course Teach UAE Magazine,
are excellent for compiling and
explaining great ideas that can have
an immediate impact in the classroom.
Share one thing about you
that would surprise your
colleagues.
I love skydiving and extreme sports.
I’ve gone skydiving in Florida and have
plans to learn to go solo here in the
UAE. I’m also planning to skydive in
Nepal on our next trip there. Learning
to drift and drive a rally car are also on
my list!
What are three key things that
you wish to accomplish in the
next five years?
I want to complete a second Masters
in Linguistics or begin a Ph.D. in
Education, visit the four remaining
continents I haven’t seen, and enter a
literary competition.
Connect with Betina via Twitter @BetinaWFuentes
After The Bell
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May - Jun 2016
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