Our Diploma community is growing quickly, and we now have over 350 students representing 40 countries! With such a large community, we are highlighting members every month to give them the attention they deserve. This month, meet Taiane Ferreira from Brazil.
Born to Explore
Taiane is a young early education teacher whose first love was languages. She graduated from the University of Rio de Janeiro with a degree in linguistics, but she always had an interest in education. She also knew she wanted to travel, so when she got an offer to teach in Beijing, she took the chance and flew halfway around the world to start a new adventure.
Diving into the Diploma
Because she was new to teaching, Taiane decided that she wanted to learn more about early education on her own, so she started searching on the internet. She soon found the HEI Schools Diploma program, and it was the perfect fit. It was all in English and online – in China, the language barrier would have been a big obstacle – the scope of the program was appealing to her, and there were participants from all over the world. She decided to enroll in December 2020.
Finding Her Style
A few months into the program, Taiane wanted to move somewhere else in China. She didn’t really enjoy the hectic environment in Beijing and the methods in her school were quite different from what she was learning in the Diploma. She found out that HEI Schools had a school in Guangzhou, so she contacted them directly to see if they had any vacancies for foreign teachers. Thanks to her investment in the Diploma program and her eagerness to apply what she learned there, the Learning Center hired her as a foreign teacher.
Bringing the Finnish Way to China
Taiane has found it challenging to bring the Finnish education to China with such different cultural expectations. Parents in China want their children to learn so many academic skills at an early age, while the Finnish approach is all about holistic learning and development. In her previous school, the kids only played for thirty minutes a day. At HEI Schools, they play all day long and teachers are also able to contribute and teach in innovative and diverse ways. It's much different from the traditional approach, and something that Taiane enjoys: “My way is more HEI way, and because of that, I feel more comfortable and confident now,” she says.
“My way is more HEI way, and because of that, I feel more comfortable and confident now."
Graduated and on to new adventures
In October 2021, Taiane graduated from the HEI Schools Diploma program with full marks. She is grateful for the program because it gave her opportunities she otherwise would not have received: "I think the Diploma program helped me get hired at HEI Schools Guangzhou, and it has definitely helped me increase my professionalism. Most importantly, it allows me to combine theory with practice," she told us.
Would Taiane recommend the Diploma program to a friend?
"Yes, and I already have! My friend enrolled a few months ago and another HEI Schools teacher from Guangzhou also started the program after I joined the team. I love to see the community grow!"
And we can't wait to see where Taiane goes next!
Are you ready to start a new educational adventure with HEI Schools?
Read more about the Diploma program* and enroll today!
