Personal description:

In describing myself, I have to say that I’m honest, hardworking, and imaginative; however, that’s not enough to have a full picture of myself. Also, I’m a fighter, a rebel and a very goal oriented person. I really like and old proverb about a mariner saying that “a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner”. It makes me remember how important it is to fight for what you want and to endure difficult situations to get ahead in life. I think being that way has helped make me into the person I am today, and I am very proud of who I have become.

Teaching philosophy:

I think that the best way to learn a language is by participating actively in different communicative tasks and relating the information learned to the participants’ life experiences and immediate context. My personal goal is to provide students with a positive classroom environment so that they can feel motivated being part of the learning process. I respect individual differences and I believe that the best way to deal with them is through an eclectic approach. This will enable me to integrate different methods to address students’ learning styles, social settings, and to meet their potentials and limitations. Moreover, I consider it’s necessary to acknowledge students’ success in achieving the goals of tasks as a way to help them build their confidence. Finally, I believe that it’s ok to challenge learners with demanding tasks, but first it’s necessary to motivate them and to instill a feeling of success, so that the teacher can get the best out of them.

Teaching experiences:

I've posted some of my previous experiences in teaching on blogspot. Please check out josemiguellevel5 and josemiguellevelxi and send your comments or suggestions about other possible ways in which I can improve my classes by using technology.

Resume

Professional Profile
M.A. student in the field of English Teaching as a Foreign Language.
University of Costa Rican, main campus.
B.A. in English Teaching as a Foreign Language.University of Costa Rica, western campus.

Congresses and Seminars
I have attended to the XXII World Congress on Reading (International Reading Association, 2008), I International Congress of Modern Languages (University of Costa Rica, 2008), and I have been speaker in the III International Symposium of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education in Latin America (University Pontificia Católica of Sao Paulo, 2009).

Work Experience:
I have been President of the Students’ Association of the western campus (2007-2008), assistant of the Community Service Project: “Fortalecimiento del Idioma Inglès” (2007-2009), assistant of the Modern Languages Department (2009), and English instructor at FUNDATEC (2008-2009).