Canuckiwis Abroad

Amy – I have been teaching overseas since 2010, starting at the America International School in Kuwait and now at Khartoum International Community School in Sudan. My husband and I have made the most of our adventurous years abroad, including fond memories of paragliding in Nepal, deep sea fishing in Oman, cooking classes in India, safaris in Kenya, rock climbing in Thailand, snorkeling in South Africa and now desert camping in Sudan. We are blessed to call Canada and New Zealand home, where we enjoy endless outdoor and adventure activities. In August, 2015, we happily welcomed our son, Finn Joseph Lynch, and we are thrilled to have him join us on our journey as educators living abroad.

My love of working with youth, an ongoing interest in science, health and fitness, and a passion for travel motivate my personal and professional ventures. My past experiences in recreational and competitive sport and dance, outdoor education, health promotion, coaching, and regular volunteer work with the Ottawa Special Needs community, led me to pursue a teaching career in my hometown, Ottawa, Canada. My exposure to a very multi-cultural community growing up, notably in sports and school, made the adjustment to Islamic traditions and norms relatively easy when I moved to Kuwait. I learned to embrace individuality at a young age and I continue to learn from and appreciate those with experiences different to my own.

My love for teaching Health and Physical Education continues to grow. The PHE online community has grown significantly and having learned so much from fellow educators through my PLN, I was inspired to start a personal and professional website. Given the high rate of preventative disease and inactivity of children worldwide, I wanted to join the mission as a public advocate for health and physical activity. I believe in the importance of developing physical literacy school wide because it gives students the confidence they need for lifelong participation in physical activity. PHE should be conceptual in the sense that students are inquiring and learning about movement and health in a way that they can create relevant connections to the PE environment, other subjects and the outside world. I enjoy using a student-centered approach of cooperative learning as it encourages critical thinking, problem solving, communication, reflection and conflict resolution. I am committed to building a safe and inclusive learning space where students have a voice and their needs are met. I am also very excited about the future of technology in the classroom as means for innovative teaching and active student learning.

My goal as an educator is to have a positive influence on the learning community not only as a teacher, but also as a mentor through extracurricular opportunities and the greater community. I had a wonderful educational experience as a student and I want to help cultivate similar memories for students of all abilities and backgrounds. My partner Jamie and I are driven by very similar values and we are both very excited to continue our journey as advocates for PHE in a new learning environment and culture come August, 2018.

Jamie – Sports and active living have always played a large role in defining who I am, especially while growing up with a competitive twin brother. As a youth I participated in different sports, excelling in track and field and cross-country, where I was awarded regional titles and represented New Zealand in international competition. These experiences have led me to pursue a wide range of coaching positions in hopes of offering similar positive mentorship to children and adolescents in school through physical activity. In partnership with teaching, I believe this is one of the best ways to build strong, positive relationships with my students while nurturing their personal wellbeing.

My interest in becoming an educator in physical and health education began when I was at high school in New Zealand. Throughout my education I was fortune to have dedicated teachers who inspired my positive attitude and commitment to fitness, training and healthy living. Coupled with my passion for sport and competition, a career in teaching was the obvious choice when moving into tertiary education. Since graduating from Canterbury University in 2006, I have had the privilege to work in three extremely different schools across the globe.

My first teaching position was in a small rural New Zealand town with a strong indigenous community with significant social and economic struggles. From this I gained a better understanding of meeting student needs and the necessity of empathy to support students both academically and emotionally. Following a 12 month sabbatical around South America where I acquired my Spanish language skills, I moved to Kuwait. AISK offered the opportunity for me to further my skills in curriculum development and inquiry based learning with the MYP. I am now in my fourth year with my wife Amy and our son Finn in Khartoum, Sudan. Living and working here has been an incredible experience, both personally and professionally. I have grown significantly as an international educator in areas of student-centered learning, international mindedness and integrating technology into the classroom. Sudan and other travel experiences has enriched our knowledge of both Islamic and African culture, while further developing our ability to effectively adapt and enjoy teaching in a diverse community.

Despite the differences from one post to the next, my goal for student learning has remained constant with the purpose of motivating students to pursue lifelong healthy active living. A balanced lifestyle that supports physical, mental and social health is essential to student success and their general well being, something that is often neglected amongst the academic demands of education.  I believe it is my role, along with parents and the wider community, to teach students how to make favorable choices regarding their lifestyle and how to implement coping strategies in dealing with various forms of stress. I set high standards for achievement and challenge my students in a way that respects individual capabilities but demands commitment, perseverance and integrity.