About
My name is ARLETTE GADSBY. I joined the YOKOHAMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL teaching team in August 2008 as a Middle School and High School Spanish teacher . In this page, I would like to introduce myself both as an individual and as a professional.
From a very early age, I have lived, studied and traveled on all continents: Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia. I pursued my university studies in France (B.A in Romance Languages from L’Université d’ Aix-en-Provence), in Vancouver, B.C, Canada (Master’s degree in Hispanic Studies and Professional B.C Teaching Certificate from the University of British Columbia) and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (studies towards the Doctorate in Comparative Literature at “Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro”).
My professional and academic backgrounds reflect, I think, the profound interest I have always shown towards foreign cultures. The knowledge and experience I have acquired of the world come not only from the studies I have pursued in literature and languages, but also from the teaching enterprises I have chosen to carry, far beyond the limits of my own culture and native land. From a practical point of view, I speak, read and write several languages: French, Spanish, English, Portuguese and Japanese. This combined with the professional experience I have gained in various environments have allowed me to work in various cosmopolitan and multicultural institutions, offering both great challenges and rewards. Teaching overseas, has given me the opportunity to bring students the benefits of my own professional development while helping them achieve schools educational goals. As a language instructor, I feel that the success of students goes hand in hand with that of their teachers. It is the result of the concerted effort they put forth as a team to achieve their common goal: true communication. This, in my view, goes far beyond the acquisition of new language skills as it also represents an effort and a commitment to integrate the increasingly complex world community. During my years of foreign language instruction, what I have tried to produce, are not only students successful at tests and exams, but individuals capable to appreciate and respect other people’s values and cultures. Through foreign language instruction, I have used every opportunity to maintain positive attitudes both inside and outside the classroom while developing in students the qualities that could make them both effective communicators and thoughtful human beings. I do believe that the successful teacher is the one who forms responsible students as well as competent individuals, aware of the interdependence of human beings and human societies and aware of their responsibilities towards their personal, social and physical environments. It is with that mission in mind that I have joined the staff of YOKOHAMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. I believe that I will find here every opportunity to fulfill my goals as an educator.
