Featured Teacher
MARGARET MOFFAT COMBINES HER LOVE FOR HISTORY AND TRAVEL INTO A STUNNING CAREER IN EDUCATION.
Margaret Moffat, hails from Vancouver, BC, Canada she spent her childhood there until she was 19 years old. She enjoyed a fairly rural upbringing, but then decided to move to Switzerland, where she worked as a nanny for an incredible family for two years. The mother of that family happened to be a history teacher at an international school, her influence on Maggie led to her combining her love for history and travel into a career in education which would take her across the world.
She returned to Canada and finished her Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern
History( with no plans of moving to the middle east- just a happy coincidence) and went on to gain her Bachelor of Education in Curriculum &
Instruction from Simon Fraser University. She moved to London, England and taught math and English for two years, then to Kiev, Ukraine and taught English, math & history for 2 years, as well as being the curriculum coordinator, and now she is in Dubai teaching social studies as head of department for the 4th year in a row, she recently completed her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Get to know this amazing teacher who has a passion for education and an insatiable appetite for history and travel.
Who was your favourite teacher? Why?
Everyone has a teacher that made a lasting impact on them and I am no different. My high school history teacher was incredible. Mr Tener talked with us on his level, and discussed real-life problems and issues in politics and current events. Sometimes we would spend an entire class in discussion rather than getting to the material, but, and I definitely agree as a teacher now, it was more valuable than whatever curriculum we would have covered that day. He also took us to Europe when I was 16 and that trip, seeing history truly come alive and standing on cobblestones older than my country, cemented my love for the subject.
What inspires you most?
Risk-taking and creativity. I’ m inspired by people that push boundaries, go after what they love and live a“ no regrets” kind of lifestyle. I try to emulate this as much as possible in my own life by taking chances and taking on more challenging roles and jobs often. My own life motto is probably“ carpe diem” because life is short and there is no time like the present. And as far as the creativity part goes, I don’ t always see myself as creative in an artsy sort of way, but how I approach teaching and delivering of curriculum is definitely not traditional, and I’ m proud of that.
Share two major challenges that you faced. How did you overcome them?
Moving to a new country is always a bit scary, especially as a young single female and not having a contact to lean on. When I first moved to England at 25 I think it was more adrenaline that got me through the first few months rather than level-headedness. Being incredibly stubborn is also a good quality for an international wanderer to have- it keeps you reaching towards success when, honestly, it probably