From Teaching to Leading the Learning: A Transformational Perspective
Conference 21.17
Presented by
Steven Happel
Vietnam USA Society English Centres
In this presentation, Steven weaves a personal and professional story that relates a shifting understanding of education and learning both for himself and the institution he works for – VUS. The story starts with a humble K-12 experience, moving on to university and then the ELT industry in Vietnam. Along the way, Steven touches on models of learning and an institution wrestling with traditional conceptions of education common to Vietnam. Steven ties this into a discussion of leadership, arguing for a more distributed, bottom-up model that sees teachers not just as leaders, but learners.
Presenter Bio
Steven Happel has been teaching English professionally for more than 17 years. His experience varies from tutoring foreign exchange students in the United States to the ESL classrooms of Vietnam. He has worked at VUS for the last fifteen years, first as a teacher and later becoming a senior teacher and then academic advisor. He specializes in both curriculum design and teacher training, running in-house workshops for professional development. He also works as a freelance teacher trainer for the British Council, specializing in IELTS and language assessment.
Steven received his B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Latin from the University of Minnesota where he graduated with honors. He later obtained teaching certificates in TEFL and TESOL and is currently obtaining a Masters in Applied Educational Leadership and Management through the University of London.
CPD points: 1
