Year 4A

Hi! My name is Sara Slaybaugh and I am extremely excited to be the Year 4A teacher at HeadStart International here in sunny Phuket. I am an American from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I attended West Chester University of Pennsylvania where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Reading. During my summers, I taught at a private school for children with autism where I truly fell in love with my profession. I also was fortunate to teach in China for a summer and knew when I graduated I wanted to see the world by way of teaching.

After university, I came to teach in a small town in Thailand called Ang Thong where I was able to gain an understanding of Thai culture while exploring a world of many hidden treasures. I then moved to Phuket so I could continue teaching while enjoying my love of scuba diving. I went home for a few months to reconnect with my family and friends but was drawn back to Thailand once again, so here I am! It has been two years now that I have been in Thailand and I hope to keep moving in this direction and evolving along the way.

In terms of teaching inside and outside of the classroom, I believe that every child is a unique individual. Children need a stimulating, safe and loving environment where they can grow and become the person they strive to be intellectually, physically and emotionally. In order to do this, the teacher must realize each child’s learning style is completely different from the next. Every lesson must be customized to fit every student’s needs. This is easily accomplished if the teacher takes the time to gain a real understanding of each student in the classroom.