ESL Teaching practices for All Ages students

My name is Nathalia Guimarães, I am 33 years old, and I am Brazilian. I lived in Thailand for 5 years and taught there for the same amount of time. As an educator, I have been guiding students with different ages from 2-year-old kids and young adults (25 years old).
My philosophy of education is a mix of Realism with Pragmatism. While the rules and measures are adjusted by me as an Educator (determined by the university I work, such as attendance rules, etc.), some expectations and class rules are developed in a democratic way, making sure everyone acknowledged them. In terms of content, my philosophy follows a more realistic approach, adopting technology and integrating subjects like math, science, culture, arts, etc. amongst English topics. A lot of Existentialism and Constructivism philosophies are also implemented in my class.
As an educator of 21st century, I believe that the teacher in the classroom is a facilitator/helper of the individual learning of the student. Students should not be judged or defined by what they dress or the personal lifestyle, but they should be accepted in their values, how they respect others and how they communicate their emotions in the classroom. Personally, I make sure students engage in a safe and stress-free environment, so they can enjoy and learn. In my classroom, there are a couple of strategies that I use daily for instance, cooperative learning, peer discussion, inquiry-based instruction, etc. When I started teaching, I realized that students enjoy group activities. Hence, I encourage them to communicate and share their experiences and thoughts. Regarding the inquiry-based strategy, posing thought-provoking questions inspires students to think independently and to learn how to investigate their own ideas.
Currently, I am back in my home country after resigning from Stamford International University, in Thailand, Rama 9 campus. Throughout those years, I have developed different strategies of teaching a Foreign Language in a foreign country; I have published a research paper in a Thai University Journal about Instructional Strategies’ impacts on EFL leaners, a literature review on reading fluency. I have also contributed with my colleagues developing and sharing activities and teaching strategies to address each student’s needs.