Keara

I’m Keara Kennedy, from Newbridge, which is about 45 minutes from Dublin by train.  I’ve been teaching English since 2009.  My first job was in Greece, then I went to Spain for a few years.  I moved from there to Australia, back to Spain and now to Ireland.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING STYLE AT CITAS

I try to see the learners as members of a team and I’m the learner coach.  We’ve all got to work together.  You’re as much responsible for your class as I am, and I will guide you along.  The class are fun, but I’m very strict.  You had better do your homework!

WHICH WAS THE BEST COMPLIMENT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN CLASS

I’ve received gifts from students.  Once a student drew my picture and wrote in calligraphy around it ‘The best teacher of the world’ and presented it to me framed in a handmade box.  The picture was sadly lost, but I still have the box.

KEARA, YOU ALSO TEACH YOGA TO THE STUDENTS, AND WE CAN TELL THAT YOU ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. CAN YOU TELL US WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOGA AND WHY YOU RECOMMEND DOING IT.

My mother has been practising yoga for over 30 years now, on and off, so it’s always been vaguely in the background of my awareness.  I really took to it about six years ago to help me deal with my depression.  I was in a very bad way and I ended up on the yoga mat almost by accident, when a colleague was giving a class at our school after English lessons.  I’d practiced before but this time the breath/movement synchronicity (what we call ‘Vinyasa’) really struck me.  The first impact of the practice I noticed was on my mental health, and others noticed the physical changes. I did my yoga teacher training in India in 2016.

 Now, I can say I have completely overcome my depression and anxiety, although I still take great care of my mental health and gauge my emotional balance everyday.

WHICH WAS THE BEST COMPLIMENT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN CLASS? 

I’ve received gifts from students.  Once a student drew my picture and wrote in calligraphy around it ‘The best teacher of the world’ and presented it to me framed in a handmade box.  The picture was sadly lost, but I still have the box.

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD IN ENGLISH?

I have so many!  I’m currently having a love affair with the word ‘decorum’.  Another of my passions is etymology, I love knowing where words came from and how they evolved.  I believe it gives us a better understanding of how they can be used and manipulated.  I think my favourite root is ‘spek’, meaning ‘to observe’, as it’s use is so widespread. For example: aspect, auspicious, circumspect, despicable, spy, inspect, expect, horoscope, spectrum, spectacles, retrospect… It goes on!