Megan Hayes

Teaching Philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

My goal is for students to feel excited and positive about their language learning experience. First, I want to develop a strong foundation in listening skills. Then, I want to build literacy. Literate language learners can take their skills far beyond the classroom and into the real world.

Teaching methods to reach these goals

I use Story Listening, which is a method that combines telling and drawing a story simultaneously in the target language. In addition to the drawings, I use many tools, such as gesturing, facial expressions, repetition, synonyms, and antonyms to help students comprehend. Based on Dr. Stephen Krashen’s theories and developed by Dr. Beniko Mason in Japan, Story Listening enables me to provide rich and contextualized language through these engaging stories. Stories are appealing and effective with all audiences from younger to older students.

My favorite projects

Reading! I love seeing my students reading skills progress throughout the year. In August, and for many months after, I read to them. As time goes on, students become more competent and independent readers. By early spring, many of my students are volunteering to read aloud and we are able to conduct Reader’s Theater with props and acting, which is always fun.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

I love our families! They are so interesting and kind. I love that we have a wide range of cultures and lived experiences. I also love the autonomy we are given as teachers to be creative, be innovative, and be ourselves.