Edinburgh's seaside location reminded Marília Pavão of home in the Azores archipelago. She tells us how her studies at Moray House have shaped her teaching practice. Name Marília de Fatima Cabral Pavão Degree MEd in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Year of Graduation 2007 Your time at the University Image After 10 years of non-stop teaching, I felt the need to stop. I needed to become a student again and have access to new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of teaching and living, and I found that at Moray House School of Education. My number one reason for choosing Edinburgh was the city itself and its location. The first morning I woke up there, I heard seagulls and I thought to myself: “It’s like being home!” as I am from the islands of the Azores (Portugal). Later on, I went to live in Portobello, by the beach. Learning why a kilt is not a skirt (lol…), tasting all sorts of whiskies to try to like one at least, eating “toffee” or fish and chips while strolling down the Royal Mile, climbing Arthur’s Seat, you name it! So many good times and so many great people amongst my classmates, teachers and my landlady, who showed me the “other” Edi! All that I learned in Moray House and in Scotland has been invaluable for me, because it broadened my horizons and changed the way I teach and the way I see teaching and the world around me. Marília Pavão Your experiences since leaving the University I have been a secondary school English teacher for 20 years now and I teach 7th to 12th form. I’ve been involved with Cambridge Assessment (Key and Preliminary for Schools) since it was implemented in Portuguese schools (2014 and 2015), both as a marker and as a team leader. All that I learned in Moray House and in Scotland has been invaluable for me, because it broadened my horizons and changed the way I teach and the way I see teaching and the world around me. I now face teaching in a much more "natural" way. I teach my students not only English. I also try to open their eyes to the world and I keep on telling them that the world does not revolve around their belly button and that there is so much more to discover. Another thing that I try to do is warn them about plagiarism (as today it is so easy to fall for the "allure" of "copy and paste"), and for the need to always check their sources. I am on my 20th year of teaching and I'm already starting to feel the "itch" to go back to academic life. Alumni wisdom Enjoy that amazing city and country, and its unforgettable people. Study hard, be concise and clear in what you do and never forget where you come from and where you want to go! Related links Moray House School of Education This article was published on 2024-10-28
