During my time teaching Middle School Mathematics at Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro, I was able to complete my Masters degree from Framingham University. This degree is especially designed for those teachers who have decided on a career teaching overseas, as well as for local teachers desiring to teach in an International School.
The program was important for teachers to not only understand the unique challenges of teaching in an international setting, but to stay current with educational practices in the US. The courses included English Second Language/ Cross Cultural Awareness as well as Issues and Influences in Education.
At this point I became interested in Curriculum Theory and Practice, and Research and Evaluation Methodology. These are two areas that don't always directly affect the classroom teaching, but provide a necessary framework for every school. Since then I have served on numerous curriculum committees, and, more recently, an Assessment Committee.
Research Paper Topic : The Effect and Influence of Homework in Mathematics Teaching.
In international schools, we are catering to students who come from very diverse backgrounds and cultures. Parents, as well as students need to be educated as to why we use certain practices in our teaching methodology. I found that Mathematics was often a hot topic with Middle School families, leading to strong opinions that were best confronted with proper facts and research.
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