The Spotlight Series continues here at Keystone, with today’s feature about Ms. Oxana, our beloved ESL/secondary school teacher!
Find out her likes and dislikes below.
- FAVOURITE COLOUR: I love all colours except purple.
- CATS OR DOGS? Otters
- FAVOURITE FOOD: Anything my mom makes.
- COFFEE OR TEA? Both
- FAVOURITE CITY IN THE WORLD: Stockholm
- FAVOURITE SONG: Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd
- FAVOURITE BOOK: Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
- FAVOURITE MOVIE: Donnie Darko
- FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Dark
- MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON? Morning
What was your favourite subject in school?
Russian Literature and English
What did you study after highschool?
Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Studies
Were you an A+ student?
Unfortunately, yes.
If it were up to you, how would you measure academic success?
I would probably not measure it at all because deep down I believe that academic success cannot be measured by quantitative metrics alone. Instead, I’d encourage students to grow at their own pace and celebrate their achievements in all areas of life, not just in academics. I am trying to do all of these anyway but reality sometimes gets in the way.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to drive an electric bus and translate fiction.
What is your favourite thing about teaching?
First of all, teaching always keeps me on my toes. As an educator, I find myself constantly researching and updating my knowledge, which I think is the whole point of human life. Developing learning experiences with real students in mind is another aspect that I take a lot of pleasure in. It is an imaginative process that requires me to be creative and empathetic. It’s also very gratifying because I get to witness firsthand the impact my work has on students’ lives.
In which other teacher’s class would you like to enroll, even for a day? Why?
Ms. Radini’s class! Every time I pass by her classroom, there’s always something exciting going on, whether it’s a lively discussion or an inquiry-driven group activity.
