I am a Costa Rican teacher who loves talking about her country while enjoying the experience of learning from other cultures. I was brought here by Participate Learning Inc, a company that hires international teachers and places them in various states in the USA. As a cultural ambassador, I make sure to communicate with my students and colleagues about alternate ways of sharing knowledge related to other countries and their ways of living. This is a plus to the position I hold at SSS as an ESL Teacher due to the fact that my students can learn about other geographical locations while showing pride in their own countries of origin. Through a variety of activities, we develop a safe, culturally unbiased learning environment in our ESL classes. 

Regarding the academic field, I hold a Bachelor's degree in English, a Licensure in Translation and a Master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign/ Second Language. I have worked in Costa Rica at private and public high schools, as well as at private and public universities, for more than 20 years. In the USA, I previously taught ESL at Four Oaks Middle School, and I truly enjoyed that experience. 

I am very willing to learn all I can from my students and co-workers about the educational field; in the same way, I want to exchange information which can in the short and long term be beneficial both for the students and the staff members at Johnston County Public Schools. 

For the upcoming school year, I will continue to work in my ESL classes with a selected group of newcomers to the country. Also, I will continue providing support for math classes in a co-teaching environment. Finally, I hope to work in an inclusion English class to further support the students' knowledge and learning of the target language. 

Please feel free to contact me at cynthiachaves@johnston.k12.nc.us or at (919) 934-5191 Ext. 5254.