This week’s staff blog is from Debora, a new member of staff this year. Her vibrant personality has certainly been noticed by all, here is what she had to say in her interview:
Introduce yourself:
“My name is Debora Collett and I'm an English, Literature and EFL teacher. I'm half Italian and half Brazilian. I have two chocolate Shih Tzu dogs called Maisie & Nina and I love to take them to different parks for a walk. I think I was destined to be a teacher; from as long as I can remember I always enjoyed teaching people things - my little sister was my first student!”
What has your experience of the college been so far?
“So far it's been great! I enjoy teaching here and everyone is super nice and friendly.”
How does this college differ from the previous schools/ colleges that you have worked in?
“I think the students at EIC have a lot more freedom to express their identity and they have a lot more freedom to choose their subjects and make decisions about their learning. There are not a lot of rules to be followed and it's a lot less formal than a mainstream school which is great! We can celebrate individuality and the diversity within our community.”
What do you enjoy most about your job?
“I absolutely love teaching! I love being able to share knowledge with the students, to broaden their knowledge or view on something. I remember when I decided to return to teaching (after having spent nearly 4 years in publishing) - I wanted to feel that I was doing something good. That I was able to somehow change someone's life through education.”
How would you like to impact our college community?
“By supporting students in being the best they can. To help them fully achieve what they want, to fully develop skills that will help them throughout their lives. And if I get a few to love reading - that's an added bonus.”
What do you like to do outside of work?
“I love to exercise! You can say I'm totally fanatic about it. I love running, swimming (although I'm not very good) and yoga. I also meditate often and every fortnight I attend meditation sessions at the North London Buddhist Centre. A perfect weekend involves all those things and long walks with my dogs.”
What is something you are really proud of? Perhaps an achievement or key moment in your life?
“I'm really proud of my resilience and courage to restart whenever something in my life seems not to work out. I never give up - I somehow always find a way to overcome things no matter how bad they are. I'm always finding a new challenge, something new to do which will push me out of my comfort zone. My next one is learning crochet with Charlie!” (Admissions and Marketing Coordinator)
Finally - Tell me a fun fact about yourself!!
“I used to be the lead singer in a Reggae band when I was at University. I performed in festivals, bars, opened concerts and even recorded a demo.”