Meet Fereshteh–a UofT student pursuing a degree in Industrial Engineering and minor in Artificial Intelligence! She has been with Kidzwhiz for a year and half and she aims to inspire kids to love learning which will help them acquire many skills. Learn more about Fereshteh below!
Tell us about yourself!
Hi, I’m Fereshteh ! I’m pursuing a degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Toronto. By pursuing a career in engineering, I hope to make meaningful contributions to individuals and communities locally, nationally, and beyond.
Why is technology important to you?
I grew up surrounded by technology and I can barely remember a time without it. Technology has touched every aspect of life like nothing else has and that’s exactly why technology is so important today and will always be.
How long have you been with the company?
I joined April 2018, so just around a year and a half.
What attracted you to Kidzwhiz?
I always enjoyed working with kids and technology. Kidzwhiz offered me an opportunity to work a job that included my passion so I had to take it.
What makes Kidzwhiz a special place to work for?
Kidzwhiz values and goals align with mine. I believe that the vision Matthew has in mind will help and inspire many kids to become successful individuals and I’m happy to be a part of that experience.
What is your teaching style like?
One of my teaching tricks is to teach kids to love learning. That’s how I learned most of the skills in life, I got excited for every success and got determined to work harder with every failure. I always try to make my classes a comfortable environment where kids can express themselves, ask questions, tell their stories and even complain about their frustrations. I strongly believe that if a kid is put in a safe and supportive learning environment there’s always a takeaway for him/her.
Why do you enjoy teaching?
I start every lesson with the hope to see the “oh! I get it” moment. The moment that a student grasp a concept for the first time is one of my favourite moments. I haven’t had an experience more rewarding than that and that’s why I love and are eager to continue teaching.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I love sports, both watching and playing it. My favorite times mostly include playing basketball, swimming and watching soccer!
What is one of your favorite classroom memories?
I have many! The one that is very important to me is from the first course that I ever taught at Kidzwhiz. I had a student who was very shy and didn’t seem very interested in the course. After a few weeks, he started to be more engaged in the class discussions and I could see the love he had for programming in his eyes. His personality changed exponentially, he went from nodding his head when answering questions to jumping up and down to explain his solutions to other students. Seeing him not only grow in knowledge and skills but also confidence is an accomplishment for me and I will never forget that experience.
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