Name: Erica Pires

Hometown: Yonkers, New York

Role: Elementary Lead Teacher

What’s the best thing about Taiwan?

The best thing about Taiwan is its culture and natural beauty. There aren’t many places where you can pick up a u-bike to cycle alongside gorgeous rivers, hop on the MRT to head towards a mountain for hiking and grab dinner at a rooftop restaurant located in the city center, all in the same day. The people, music, food, traditions and close proximity to many other countries makes it an exciting place to live and a difficult place to leave!

How do you support Foresight teachers in your role as a Lead Teacher?

As lead teacher, I communicate with all members of our team to help guide us towards a more united direction. Some ways I’m able to do this include visiting students and teachers in classrooms, reviewing the team newsletters, lesson plans, exams and attending grade team meetings. I am always sharing my own personal experiences about living and teaching in Taiwan (especially the challenging ones), as well as offering listening ears to teachers about their own experiences, questions and concerns. Additionally, I work with our school's teacher director and site director to plan PD sessions based on our student and teacher needs. I create resources and content for our team to use, such as rubrics, checklists, templates, parent communication memos and informative Google slides.

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

There are so many rewarding parts of my role, including walking through the hallways and hearing students and teachers enthusiastically use English. Although, the most rewarding moments might have to be when teachers come to me and share successes in their classrooms. Seeing teachers meet and exceed their professional and personal goals is what this experience is all about!