The Teachers of Balance
Teachers at Balance are chosen from a wide variety of applicants, but Balance is looking for teachers who can add to the ethos of our school. The old adage that ‘teachers are born, not made’ is so true as at Balance we are not looking for the most highly qualified teacher, but rather a teacher who has passion and can inspire our students both academically and socially and emotionally.
At Balance we want our teachers to be culturally aware and sensitive to the needs of our students. Our teachers need to be open-minded, adaptive, respectful and approach their teaching in a way that meets the diverse needs of our students.
Teachers need effective communication skills. They are not only there to engage with their students, but also to effectively communicate with parents and colleagues of different cultural backgrounds. A language difference should not be seen as a barrier to effective communication.
Our teachers need to have patience in abundance and the right amount of empathy to effectively inspire our students. All our students are second language users and indeed many of our academic and operational support staff are all from second language background. These circumstances should never be reasons to not engage with everyone in a patient and empathetic way.
Our teachers need to be good team players and professionals who are able to collaborate with all shareholders of the schools for the good of our students. Having experience in multicultural environments is of utmost importance for the promotion of an effective quality working environment.
Teachers at Balance need to be technologically astute. We live in an environment where technology is updating itself almost monthly and new pedagogical ideas are surfacing at every conference. Our teachers need to be ready to embrace these new approaches to always be offering the most effective lessons.
Finally, teachers need to be well qualified and experienced. As a minimum teacher in their early years and primary years need to have at least a Bachelor Degree together with a teaching qualification. However, teachers in the lower and upper secondary phases need to have a degree, teaching qualification together with relevant teaching experience in their field of speciality.
The Support Staff of Balance
No school classroom to run effectively without the generous support of our teaching assistants. At Balance we have divided this group of professionals into two sections, namely the teaching assistants as well as the learning support assistant.
Teaching Assistant
The teaching assistants at Balance are effectively supported by Khru World. Not only has she been in the position of a teaching assistant for many years, but also had experience in leading a team of teaching assistants. Teaching assistants support students preparing for care for their daily needs, while at the same time support teachers in delivering their lessons.
Support Assistant
There are four learner support assistants at Balance. There are highly qualified and experienced teachers in their own countries and drawn from Asean countries. Specialists in their areas, they are required to have a TOEIC score of above 850 to be employed as an LSA at Balance. Their role is to offer academic support to students, help overcome any language barriers to learning and encourage a supporting learning environment beyond the teachers impact in the academic classroom.