Nadee T. Dissanayake

Spitzkrautweg 17, Stuttgart 70599 GermanyPhone 0049 71146924248 E-Mail: nadee@fsmail.net

I am an enthusiastic, self-motivated and reliable Primary School Teacher with over 17 years

experience at international schools in Sri-Lanka, the U.K., Austria and Germany. I am committed

to presenting a broad-based curriculum within a highly stimulating and rewarding atmosphere.

Encouraging children to produce a sense of pride in their ability and allow them to work to their

full potential is of vital importance. Within this environment the children are motivated in an

inquiry approach across the curriculum areas. I believe that all students should have the

opportunity to learn and take risks in a safe and supportive setting. I encourage them to progress

at their own pace, through a variety of situations ranging from whole class, small group and

individual activities. Formative assessment enables me to further develop my delivery of each

lesson and consider each student’s needs with appropriate questioning and interaction.

Having taught children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds I have learnt to be

flexible, and possess the ability to adapt and differentiate by making use of available resources.

Within the classroom I encourage students to increase their problem solving and investigative

skills by providing stimulating learning areas, which also promotes and develops independent

and responsible learners. Working in many multi-lingual international schools I have been

fortunate to work closely with members of staff in developing individual learning programmes for

EAL students, collaboratively planning PYP inquiries, and relevant assessments.

For a rapidly changing world, I endeavor to change and adapt to new educational theories in

order to give students the best possible preparation for the 21st century and become life-long

learners. My goal is to encourage students to be critical thinkers and responsible citizens.

Further, I believe in encouraging a strong sense of self-esteem, personal integrity and a

respectful, caring attitude towards others and the environment.

Being trained to teach English as a Second Language has proven to be an asset in International

Schools. The ability to cater for the different levels of English language skills and to be able to

implement a variety of different pedagogical approaches plays a vital role in the teaching of

international students.

During my career, I have had a significant amount of experience in developing and shaping the

school curriculum and also of putting assessment strategies into place. Having taken a

postgraduate course in curriculum development, I have been able to use my interest and

expertise in curriculum matters for the benefit of the schools where I have since worked. In

these schools, I have been involved in adapting the curriculum and the schemes of work, so that

they adhere to the criteria of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. I have

also developed, the frameworks for portfolio and rubric based assessments.

I have gained further curriculum expertise from my work as a curriculum coordinator. At the

Overseas School of Colombo I was the Primary Literacy Coordinator and at the Danube

International School I was the Elementary School Science Coordinator. At my previous school to

ISS I was the Literacy Coordinator for the Junior Department. In my present school I have held

the post of Co-Literacy Coordinator and I am presently the International-mindedness Coordinator,

further, this year I have played a key role in shaping the whole school Mathematics Scope and

Sequence. In all these posts I was responsible, not only for the curriculum, but also for

assessment, monitoring, resources location, staff development and liaison. Within all my posts I

have valued teamwork and nurtured a positive and strong partnership between staff, senior

management, parents and students, endeavoring to create a positive working environment and a

warm community spirit.

Since I believe in developing as many of a child’s skills as possible, in all of my posts I have

involved myself in the wider education of children through my involvement in extra-curricular

activities. I have been involved in a variety of sports, as a coach for badminton, hockey and

tennis. Being bilingual, I was able to teach German as an after-school activity. I have also taught

children to sew through a rag-doll club. I have involved myself in a number of school drama

productions, where I have been responsible for costumes, make-up and directing.

Last but not least, as the world moves forward with new technologies, I strive to uphold the

changes that it brings. I am competent in using Atlas for curriculum documentation and

Veracross for student documentation, report writing and school calendar updates. This year I

have introduced the usage of iPads within my classroom as a tool for learning and I am using

Evernote to document student’s learning engagements in form of an electronic portfolio.

I possess the drive and ambition to succeed in any challenging situation. I consider my strengths

to be an endless enthusiasm towards all aspects of school life as well as my willingness to

respond and adapt to changing environments and responsibilities. I am an excellent team player

and enjoy interacting with colleagues. I have a wealth of skills and experiences to bring to a

teaching post in a new school and I am keen to face fresh challenges.

Finally, I hope that I have been able to convey enough of my knowledge, skills and experience

for you to be interested in me as a suitable candidate for a post at your school.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Nadee T. Dissanayake

Please see the link below for a glance into my philosophy

and classroom activities.

http://nadeecv.blogspot.de/

Further I would

request permission

to email you my

electronic portfolio

on evernote.

My philosophy of education begins with the idea of educational progressivism.

This simply means that students are social beings and learn best through real

life experiences. It encompasses an integrated curriculum focused on units of

inquiry while involving real life, hands on learning engagements that forward what

the students are experiencing.

Each and every child is unique in personality, learning style, and ability. From my

time spent in the classroom I have found that students understand material better

and remember it longer when they are learning through their own discovering.

They can do this by working with one another to uncover key concepts about

central ideas. 

My role as an educator is to be a positive role model, who creates a welcoming,

yet structured environment for students to feel comfortable. The classroom has

a schedule of class times, daily agenda and a learning center board, this gives

students the structure they need, yet it also allows choice for open-ended inquiry.

This structure sets a tone of responsibility for the young students, which creates

the expectation that they will be prepared and organized. 

I believe an educator should not be a lecturer, but rather a mediator of learning.

For me, teaching offers an opportunity for growth both as an educator and for my

students. My goals as a teacher are to actively engage my unique students

through inquiry based learning centers in Literacy, Numeracy, Unit of Inquiry,

Art and Drama in a comfortable environment. Providing relative opportunities so

that students can expand their knowledge by asking questions and providing

them with as many hands on activities as possible. When my students enter my

classroom, they become inquirers.

My future goals as an educator is to keep learning more about the changes that

are accruing within the PYP curriculum framework and create an E-learning

classroom based.

Education opens new doors for everyone-teachers and students alike. I am

collaborative in nature and enjoy sharing what works and what doesn't work

with other teachers. Personally, I am looking forward to the continued opportunity

to implement this philosophy and these goals. 

My Philosophy on Teaching