Hi, I’m
Gary van Breda
Tauranga,BOP
Summary
I am a qualified teacher, teaching life skills to high school students, an international teacher of social-emotional needs, a whole school counselor, and a boarding director. This further led me to focus on learners holistically. Ensuring their emotional concerns, growth, and needs were developed to promote their cognitive and social ability to flourish as global, open-minded, empathetic, caring citizens living up to their full optimal development. Change management, focusing on staff strengths, has been utilized, as well as growing staff and building multidimensional teams in our school environment. Healthy, positive relations are the foundation of rapport and a striving environment. Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively, unsupervised, and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
10
years of professional experience
2
years of post-secondary education
Work History
BASIS International and bilingual school ChengduChengdu
Director of boarding and residential life
01.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Ensure smooth communication and cohesion of the boarding house, procedures, systems, and integration of departments within the school
- Ensure all students' physical and emotional needs have been met and evaluated
- Constant reflections and meetings with students to ensure they feel safe and secure in the boarding house
- Ensuring tutoring in the evenings has been developed and supported learners generally and individually tailored towards their needs and cognitive ability, scaffolding and differentiating pedagogical modalities for all learners, misunderstanding, and needs to be considered and met
- Monthly assessment of students and weekly collaboration with school personnel to identify barriers to learning and facilitate problem resolution.
Michael house school, and international schools
Teacher; Social Emotional Needs/ Counsellor.
01.2014 - 01.2022
Job overview
- Teaching in a multi-cultural country, helping bridge the barriers of different cultures, beliefs, and socioeconomic groups
- Identifying misconceptions of disabilities, race, and intersectionality of individuals
- Caring for the whole child, developing mindfulness and individual plans for students, parents, and staff, and learning to optimize communication, higher-order thinking, and appreciation of diverse learning methodologies
- Developing positive relationships fosters support, care, and understanding in the environment to help learners fully understand their identity, role, and abilities
- As the school counselor at an international school, I aimed to navigate the emotional and social challenges students and staff were experiencing, developing resilience and a growth mindset to thrive academically and personally
- Holding individual and group sessions for students to express themselves in a non-judgemental environment
- Illustrating meetings, workshops, and presentations on self-harm, bullying, safety, respect, and reflection from all learners
- Action plans, assessments, and senior leadership meetings were conducted utilizing a multi-dimensional approach, incorporating parents and the wider community to help the student feel valued and supported with a voice to empower change and healthy environments
- The director of boarding integrating the primary school, middle school, and high school needed empathy, active listening, and understanding of all students at different developmental stages, needs, and procedures as basic needs and wants
- Fostering a heightened level of emotional intelligence, problem-solving, cooperation, and collaboration, leading to a big brother and sister program with students supporting each other's emotional, social, and academic growth and cohesion.
- Met with parents and guardians to discuss students' progress and areas requiring improvement.
- Performed student background reviews to ascertain learning deficiencies and strengths to develop tailored lessons based on student needs.
- Created and enforced child-based, hands-on curriculum to promote student interest and receptive learning.
- Developed and implemented lesson plans based on curriculum objectives.
- Supervised after school activities such as clubs or sports teams.
- Planned field trips to enrich students' educational experiences outside of the traditional classroom setting.
- Enforced school rules and regulations in order to maintain an appropriate learning environment for all students.
- Utilized behavior management skills to foster environment conducive to student learning.
- Tested students' comprehension of subject matter through quizzes, tests and projects.
- Enhanced lessons with smart board technology, iPads and computers to address common core goals.
- Met with parents to discuss students' progress and review areas requiring improvement.
- Enforced discipline on campus and during off-campus school trips following code of conduct and student handbook.
- Built and strengthened positive relationships with students, parents and teaching staff.
- Incorporated instructional best practices such as differentiated instruction into lesson plans.
- Created meaningful projects that allowed students to apply their knowledge in real world situations.
- Remained calm and patient in student interactions to support individual growth and development.
- Led students through safety procedures for active shooter and fire drills.
- Worked successfully with diverse group of coworkers to accomplish goals and address issues related to our products and services.
- Worked with cross-functional teams to achieve goals.
- Established and enforced rules for behavior and procedures to maintain order among students.
Education
University of EssexEssex
Master of Science from Applied Psychology
05-2024
Melbourne UniversityMelbourne
Postgraduate Advanced/teaching And Learning from International Baccalaureate
01-2021
Melbourne UniveristyMelbourne
Masters of International Education from International Education
02.2020 - 01.2022
University of South AfricaCape Town
Postgraude Certificate in Education from Teaching, Secondary And Further Education
01-2016
University of South AfricaCape Town
Bachelor of Science from Psychology
01-2014
Univeristy of South AfricaCape Town
Bachelor of Arts from Psychology And Communications
01-2011
Timeline
Director of boarding and residential life
BASIS International and bilingual school Chengdu
01.2023 - Current
Melbourne Univeristy
Masters of International Education from International Education
02.2020 - 01.2022
Teacher; Social Emotional Needs/ Counsellor.
Michael house school, and international schools
01.2014 - 01.2022
University of Essex
Master of Science from Applied Psychology
Melbourne University
Postgraduate Advanced/teaching And Learning from International Baccalaureate
University of South Africa
Postgraude Certificate in Education from Teaching, Secondary And Further Education
University of South Africa
Bachelor of Science from Psychology
Univeristy of South Africa
Bachelor of Arts from Psychology And Communications
Skills
- Utilizing a change management approach towards staff
- Reflective and further study of Māori culture to help all members of New Zealand
- Registered as a first aid Red Cross First Aid
- Digital literacy: A 21st-century understanding of education, online further and continuous learning
- Complex problem-solving, flexibility, and stress tolerance
- Cultural competency; awareness, equality, and diversity
- Leadership skills, through empowerment, and in-depth analysis of systems approach for positive developmental
- Rules and Regulations
- People Management
- Strategic Planning
- Charismatic Leader
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Program Management and problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Culture awareness and international experience
- Emotional intelligence
Affiliations
- Chess, rugby, sport, camping, volunteer work, and community-building.
Accomplishments
- Cum Laude in my PGCE in secondary and further education
- HIV/AIDS certificate in counseling
- Represented my country in Judo
- represented my province in Rugby
- Chess coach/instructor to early years learners.
Languages
Afrikaans
Native/ Bilingual
English
Native/ Bilingual
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