Shalini Murthy

It is my ninth year at Tenby International School Setia Ecopark, the flagship school in Malaysia under ISP Schools. Prior to Tenby,  I was in another International School in the same province. In that accumulative 12 years, I have taught English and Literature to students from  varying age groups between Year 7 – 13 ( IGCSE and A-Levels ). This is also my second year as DSL/ Assistant Head of Pastoral after five years of being a Head of Year.

 

It is my ninth year at Tenby International School Setia Ecopark, the flagship school in Malaysia under ISP Schools. Prior to Tenby,  I was in another International School in the same province. In that accumulative 12 years, I have taught English and Literature to students from  varying age groups between Year 7 – 13 ( IGCSE and A-Levels ). This is also my second year as DSL/ Assistant Head of Pastoral after five years of being a Head of Year.

As a teacher, I plan for and check that students are engaging in ‘good struggle’; that they are having to think about what they are doing and make new connections and wire new thoughts in their brains. When students are overwhelmed, I incorporate a variety of techniques to adjust the challenge and support their learning.  I am a big believer that lessons need to be exciting, engaging, challenging and accessible to all types of learners in my classroom. I always strive to improve, and I am open to feedback, particularly from my students themselves. I also work closely with my team using instructional coaching with the guidance of Steplab, a platform that continuously shapes me as a reflective practitioner. 

I have always taken up extra responsibilities in my effort to better understand and to equip my students with detailed knowledge of the subject. For three years, I have been the Assistant Examiner for Cambridge International Examinations, marking for May/June examination series. I have been the Assistant Examiner for the 0500 First Language English paper in 2017, 2022 and A Levels 9093 English Language in May/June 2023.

Skills and Attributes

Whether I am teaching English Literature/English to young people, leading a pastoral team or working with SLT, I love being part of a team and supporting the development of those around me. Communication and leadership come in both words and deeds, and I believe the latter is most important when working with people. I have always upheld excellent work ethics; help support staff and students emotionally as I uphold the ethos of treating everyone with respect and kindness. 

I am also a firm believer that a successful team requires all members to trust each other, accept that failure is part of learning and an opportunity to develop the necessary skills through reflection and observation. In my pastoral team of 5 middle leaders, I lead and support my colleague with varying levels of experience and seniority. I have established a very open and respectable culture within the team where we value each other’s feedback and input in decision-making. Leading with trust and respect creates a high level of motivation and confidence as staff realise they have the answers and autonomy. Removing fear of failure allows for exploration and people to try and learn new things. 

As a senior leader at Tenby, I am self-reflective, self-aware and I lead with trust, kindness, and empathy to ensure that those they lead are able to teach and safeguard the young people to the best of their ability. It would be a privilege to join your reputable institution and I would be delighted to discuss this further if there is availability. 

Thank you. 

Shalini

I have completed my PGCEi in the year 2016 with the University of Belfast. 
Prior to that, I completed my Masters in World Literature and Bachelors Degree in English (with honors).