Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! A new school year means new challenges, experiences and especially new, awesome people. Some of you might have already met Mrs. Quail, she is currently teaching middle school English in the mornings. If you haven’t had the chance to talk to this amazing teacher, here is a little bit about her and her life!
Can you introduce yourself to the NCAI community?
“Hi. My name is Helen Quail. I am married to Rob and we have 2 kids who attend NCA Nejapa in 1st and 2nd grades. We also have a puppy called Maya. I’m British – I grew up in Nottingham, (so I am very pleased to see Nottingham Forest back in the English Premier League this season!) I studied psychology and drama at university in Liverpool. After getting married, I spent almost 15 years living in London. My husband is involved in ministry with EMI (Engineering Ministries International) which is how God led us here to Managua. I also do some work for EMI so I am only at NCA in the mornings.”
Do you have a goal you wish to accomplish this school year?
At school this year, I want to accomplish success with my students, to see them grow in their learning and confidence and to see their writing techniques improve! Personally, I want to keep getting better at communicating in Spanish. I would also like to get fitter and do more exercise.
Where were you before coming to this school and what were you doing?
I trained as a teacher after finishing university and was teaching psychology in the UK at a secondary (high) school. I worked as Head of Social Sciences for 14 years at a school in London where I was also the Mental Health Lead. We left the UK in April 2021 and spent 10 months living in Costa Rica where we attended a Spanish school – it was a fun experience to be on the other side of the teacher’s desk for a while! I recently completed a TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) qualification and now I spend some of the time I’m not at NCA teaching English to the Nicaraguan team members at EMI.
What is one of your hidden talents?
During the teacher preparation week at the beginning of August, my colleagues were surprised to find out I have a black belt in kickboxing (but it’s been gathering dust for quite a while!) Also, my husband and I used to enjoy taking part in triathlons when we lived in the UK but I’m not sure that’s something I’ll attempt here in the heat of Nicaragua!
What is your dream vacation?
I have been fortunate to travel quite a lot but I would still love to visit Canada, Japan and South Africa.
Is there anything else you would like to tell the NCAI community?
I’m excited that God has led me to be here and to be part of this community and I look forward to getting to know you better. Please say hi if you see me!
