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