{"id":6121,"date":"2017-04-30T10:18:42","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T10:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=6121"},"modified":"2017-04-30T10:20:43","modified_gmt":"2017-04-30T10:20:43","slug":"member-spotlight-37-tr-ponnumuthu-thankaraj-veteran-international-school-teacher-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/member-spotlight-37-tr-ponnumuthu-thankaraj-veteran-international-school-teacher-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Member Spotlight #37: Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj (A veteran international school teacher from India)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every so often\u00a0International School Community<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is looking to\u00a0highlight one of our members in our\u00a0Member Spotlight<\/a>\u00a0blog category.\u00a0 This month we interviewed Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj:<\/p>\n

\"member\"<\/a>
\nTell us about your background.\u00a0 Where are you from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a Mathematics Teacher and I love teaching mathematics for slow learners as well as gifted ones. I have done my Masters of Science with Major Mathematics from Vinayaga Missions University, at Salem, India. Also I have a degree in Education from Tamilnadu Teachers Education University,\u00a0 at\u00a0 Chennai. I have done a E-Comerce cource from Informatics Computer Institute Noida, Delhi which helped me to involve students into modern technology. I had a training with Cambridge International Examinations for A and As Level Mathematics through Gandhi School, Anchol, Jakarta Indonesia. I had a nine months training from Institute for Total Revolution, Vedichhi, Valod District Gujaraat, India. During my school days, I used to be very shy in nature, but now I have improved a lot and able to Train the Trainer position for a couple of times. I am basically from a small town called Mondaikad at Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu, India.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How did you get started in the international teaching community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first International Experience was with Holyland International School at Kathmandu, Nepal, which I went by train and bus as mode of travel around three thousand kilometers from my home town with extreme climatic change from 32 degree Celsius to -2 degree Celsius on January 9th 1993. Even though\u00a0 there is no visa requirement to enter into Nepal,\u00a0 I consider it as my first International Teaching Community.<\/p>\n

\"member\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Which intern<\/strong>ational schools have you worked at?\u00a0 Please share some aspects of the schools that made them unique and fun places in which to work.<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 #. Holyland International School, Kathmandu, Nepal<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 #. Greenland International School, Kathmandu,Nepal<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 #. Learning Realm International School, (LRI) Kathmandu, Nepal<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0 Arena Multimedia, Noida, UP, India<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0 Under Ministry of Education, Republic of Maldives\u00a0 3 schools<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Laimagu School, Shaviyani Attol,<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Male English School, Male’,<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Majeedyya\u00a0 School, Male’<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 # Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala, Pune, India<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 # Bina Bungsa School, Semarang & PIK-Jakarta, Indonesia<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 # Under Gandhi Group of Schools<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gandhi Memorial International School and<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gandhi School, Anchol<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0 Singapore International School, PIK-Jakarta<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0 GemsEducation Our Own, Fujairah, UAE, and now at<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0 Ayyeyarwaddy International School, Mandalay, Myanmar.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
By teaching in above schools I followed, national school curriculum, IGCSE, A & O-Level, IB and State Common\u00a0 Core Syllabuses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\"member\"<\/a><\/div>\n


\nDescribe your latest cultural encounter (or reverse cultural encounter) in your current placement, one that put a smile on your face.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While working in Indonesia and Myanmar, the People are very polite and respectful. I was selected as “The Most Patient Teacher-Secondary” from Singapore International School made me to smile since it happened within three months time. From\u00a0 AIS, Mandalay I had a lot of fun by riding motor bikes for 9 hours with a group of 7 teachers and the water-festival at school premises made me happy which one can feel it by experience only. Students happily call me Teacher Pon Pon;\u00a0it makes me to smile at times. Implementing Student Centered Learning by the slogan “Each One Teach One” , gave me satisfaction of teaching learning through Peer and Teachers as well as one to one learning. At one instance, without knowing local language, my barber shaved my mustache instead of trimming it.\u00a0 It makes me self-smile whenever I thought of the situation how it happened \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 It is really fun as we are here from different countries and being one family like environment during luncheon.<\/p>\n

\"member\"<\/a><\/p>\n


\nWhat are some important things that you look for when you are searching for a new position at an international school?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I prefer not to bargain for salaries, it should be according to the qualification and experiences as per the school.\u00a0 I had couple of experiences to bargain it.\u00a0 It really made me to think how can a Teacher to bargain like a business person with the school.\u00a0 The complete Teacher Resources for the particular class should be provided by the school, which will save a lot of time of preparation of lessons, instead of searching the resource itself.\u00a0 As I am highly capable of teaching middle school and High school, managing students is not\u00a0 a concern for me. There should be free internet facility for additional search of ideas\/ images\/project models etc.<\/p>\n

\"member\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In exactly 5 words, how would you describe the international school teaching experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Training the Students to Become Global Citizen.<\/p>\n

\"teacher\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Thanks Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj!<\/p>\n

If you are a member of\u00a0International School Community<\/a>\u00a0and would like to be our next member spotlight,\u00a0contact us here<\/a>.\u00a0 If we choose to highlight you, you will get a coupon code to receive one year free of premium access to our website!<\/p>\n

Do you think you have what it takes\u00a0to be a veteran international school teacher\u00a0like Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj? \u00a0What character traits does it take? \u00a0We have an article on our blog that discusses this very question. It is called the “Top 10 Character Traits of a Seasoned International School Teacher<\/em>“. Read the whole article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every so often\u00a0International School Community\u00a0is looking to\u00a0highlight one of our members in our\u00a0Member Spotlight\u00a0blog category.\u00a0 This month we interviewed Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj: Tell us about your background.\u00a0 Where are you from? I am a Mathematics Teacher and I love teaching mathematics for slow learners as well as gifted ones. I have done my Masters of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[19],"tags":[434,30,187,186,32,2388,530,267,2336],"class_list":["post-6121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-spotlights","tag-international-education","tag-international-school-community","tag-international-school-educator","tag-international-school-teacher","tag-international-schools","tag-international-schools-in-asia","tag-life-as-an-expat","tag-member-spotlight","tag-teaching-in-asia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/aefaef.png?fit=745%2C559&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-1AJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2304,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/international-school-community-member-spotlight-28-international-school-educator-currently-working\/","url_meta":{"origin":6121,"position":0},"title":"International School Community Member Spotlight #28: Denes Tilistyak (An international school educator currently working at Western International School of Shanghai)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"October 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Every 1-2 months\u00a0International School Community\u00a0will highlight one of our members in our\u00a0Member Spotlight\u00a0feature.\u00a0 This month we interviewed\u00a0Denes Tilistyak: \u00a0\u00a0Tell us about your background.\u00a0 Where are you from? 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