Rick Taira
RickTairaisAmericanandgrewupinCalifornia.HedidhisundergraduatedegreeattheColumbiaUniversityinNewYorkCity.Hesubsequentlyearnedfourseparatemaster’sdegrees.ThefirstwasanMSWfromColumbiaUniversity.Hewentontoearnseveralmoregraduatedegreesinlinguistics(MacquarieUniversity,NSW)andeducation(BardCollege,NewYork).HeiscurrentlycompletingaMastersinSchoolAdministration(WayneStateCollege,Nebraska).Hetakesthephrase“life-longlearner”toanewlevel.CurrentlyheadoftheQingdaoAcademyEnglishDepartment,Rickalsoteacheslanguageartsclassestofulfillhisinstructionalduties.Heteaches9thgradelanguagearts.Hewillalsobeco-coachingthedebateclubwithMs.Lee.Hisadministrativeresponsibilitiesincludecurriculumdevelopmentandinstructionalcoaching.Mr.TairahasauniqueteachingphilosophythathasdevelopedfromhisextensiveexperienceasanESLteacherinAsia.HeviewshisworkwithhisChinesestudentsasaculturalexchange.Heoftensays,“Ilearnfrommystudents,andtheylearnfromme.”Heisalsoquiteversedinstrategiesthatspecificallyhelpsecondlanguagelearners.Mostimportantly,hevaluestheteacher/studentrelationshipandseesitasthekeytoincreasingstudentachievementlevels.
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