Teacher Talking Time Episode 28: Ana-Marija Petrunic
Andrew sits down with Ana-Marija Petrunic to discuss her work in post-conflict Kosovo in the late 1990's, how language & identity factor into teaching, and if there is such a thing as neutrality in education. Ana-Marija spent years in post-war Kosovo as part of a project working towards reconstructing an education system in the ethnically diverse region.
Ana-Marija is the Chair of the School of ESL at Toronto’s George Brown College. Previous to that, she spent more than a decade with the University of Calgary, serving roles as instructor, professional development advisor, and in education management. She is continuing her academic path with doctoral studies in the School of Management at the University of Bath.
In this episode, Ana-Marija delves into:
- how her feeling of being "suspended in identity" led her to a career in ELT
- her work in Kosovo - what it was, why she went, and how it happened
- the challenges of re-constructing education in a post-war region
- how identity impacts language learning and teaching
- why she believes neutrality does not exist in education
- why teachers need to embrace tension and discomfort in their classrooms, and have tough, meaningful, and impactful discussions with their students that will impart social change
For more information on Ana-Marija:
Follow her: @ampetrun
Read her thesis from the University of Calgary
For more information on this episode, see our blog post on our website.
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