Connector March 2023

CONNECTOR.AE 32 CONNECTOR.AE 33 Kids And Education Kids And Education Meet The Teacher: Lucinda Scott Teachers contribute to a student’s development, and students are always able to recount at least one teacher that has made a difference in their life. Lucinda Scott is a great example of helping her students find their career paths. With over eight years of teaching and four in the UAE, Lucinda is a Teaching and Learning Coach at GEMS Al Barsha National School and has worked globally from Australia to England, now setting up a base in the UAE. Starting as a primary teacher, she has and aims to help younger students in tapping into their unlocked potential, by guiding them in academics, social skills, language and communication. As children learn through mistakes, Lucinda has created a safe space for her students to grow and learn from them. Lucinda shares her teaching journey along with her passion for striving to empower her students to become independent learners. What inspired you to start teaching? I have always known that teaching was going to be my vocation in life, because I was fortunate enough to have passionate teachers who were my role models and a mother that always believed in me. I always had a passion to teach and empower young hearts and futures. How did you decide to teach your current subject? I have been fortunate in life to have been given fantastic opportunities to teach from a young age, starting as a camp counsellor in Estonia, followed by United States. From then, I knew I wanted to teach primary children, as it would give me a chance to discover and develop their skills and talents from a young age. Why do you love teaching? Every day presents a new challenge and opportunity, with a new story to tell. When a child has a ‘lightbulb moment’ in class, it fills me with pride and reminds me why I chose this career path. Do you remember your favourite teacher from school? My primary teacher, Miss Lalley, who was also my netball coach, is my inspiration and one of the reasons I am a teacher today. She was patient, caring, kind and a fantastic listener. How do you make everyday classes more interesting? I find incorporating personal life experiences and always making lessons relatable a useful way to engage children as it helps them retain information, and gives them a purpose to listen and learn. What is a unique part of the school? A unique part of my school, GEMS Al Barsha National School, is the students’ fantastic ability to switch smoothly between English and Arabic language, even at such a young age. What would you do if you were not a teacher? Open my own summer camp overseas, which would offer a variety of opportunities and engaging activities including sports, arts and crafts workshops, where children would be able to explore their skills and grow in confidence.

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