Kara began her journey as a language learner as an AFS student on a year exchange to Costa Rica before the days of the internet and with only two weeks of Spanish classes up her sleeve. This full throttle immersion in the culture and language of a country vastly different to New Zealand sparked a lifelong interest in the Spanish language and cultures of Latin America.
Tertiary study in Costa Rica, the USA and NZ provided her with a variety of world views on which to build over the next few decades. On returning to New Zealand from a few years living abroad, Kara started her career in education as a computer applications trainer in Auckland, teaching adults in the classroom and working on client-specific projects offsite. During this period, she re-evaluated her direction and made the decision to return to university to pursue her passion for the Spanish language.
With four small children in the mix, Kara saw that teaching would be a great career option and followed a Masters degree in Spanish from University of Auckland with a Graduate Teaching Diploma. More than a decade of teaching Spanish at secondary level has given her first-hand experience of the joys and trials of teaching language to adolescents. A transition out of the classroom and into the position of Language Facilitator with Tui Tuia | Learning Circle is an exciting progression to the next chapter of her career in sharing her enthusiasm for language learning.
In her free time, Kara’s passions are tennis, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors. She is a keen traveller and likes to further her cultural understanding in authentic situations and by conversing with locals about their day-to-day experiences. Some of her most memorable learning moments have come from unplanned events while travelling, for example being invited into a family’s backyard cave to learn about the hat making process while on a roadtrip around the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
In her role as a Language Facilitator, Kara is enthusiastic to support and work with teachers from around New Zealand to facilitate the development of stimulating and authentic learning environments for the teaching of culture and language.
Kara began her journey as a language learner as an AFS student on a year exchange to Costa Rica before the days of the internet and with only two weeks of Spanish classes up her sleeve. This full throttle immersion in the culture and language of a country vastly different to New Zealand sparked a lifelong interest in the Spanish language and cultures of Latin America.
Tertiary study in Costa Rica, the USA and NZ provided her with a variety of world views on which to build over the next few decades. On returning to New Zealand from a few years living abroad, Kara started her career in education as a computer applications trainer in Auckland, teaching adults in the classroom and working on client-specific projects offsite. During this period, she re-evaluated her direction and made the decision to return to university to pursue her passion for the Spanish language.
With four small children in the mix, Kara saw that teaching would be a great career option and followed a Masters degree in Spanish from University of Auckland with a Graduate Teaching Diploma. More than a decade of teaching Spanish at secondary level has given her first-hand experience of the joys and trials of teaching language to adolescents. A transition out of the classroom and into the position of Language Facilitator with Tui Tuia | Learning Circle is an exciting progression to the next chapter of her career in sharing her enthusiasm for language learning.
In her free time, Kara’s passions are tennis, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors. She is a keen traveller and likes to further her cultural understanding in authentic situations and by conversing with locals about their day-to-day experiences. Some of her most memorable learning moments have come from unplanned events while travelling, for example being invited into a family’s backyard cave to learn about the hat making process while on a roadtrip around the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
In her role as a Language Facilitator, Kara is enthusiastic to support and work with teachers from around New Zealand to facilitate the development of stimulating and authentic learning environments for the teaching of culture and language.