Mrs. Sara Westhead began teaching at Whitney Institute Middle School during the 2017-18 school year as a Teacher Librarian. Now entering her fifth year at WIMS, she is not only the school librarian, but she also teaches M3 English Language Arts, specializing in IGCSE English, and is also the Head of the English Department. She has also, previously, served as the Head of Encore (2020-21 school year).
She was raised as a "Computer Geek" and loves learning new ways to integrate technology in the classroom to promote engagement and to allow for personalized student learning (differentiation). As a result, she loves to incorporate technology in the classroom. She is currently a part of the Bermuda Department of Education's Digital Learning Leadership Academy programme.
In addition to her work at school, she is wife to Andrew and mom to two teenage sons. Her oldest is a commercial diver working in Cornwall, UK, while her youngest is an S3 student at the Berkeley Institute. She is also an Autism advocate, having formerly served as the Vice President of Bermuda Autism Support & Education (BASE), and offers professional development opportunities for teachers and adults on the subjects of autism and technology in the classroom, working closely with the Bermuda Department of Education and the Bermuda Union of Teachers.
She has been teaching in the Bermuda Public School System in a variety of capacities for 7 years, after working in journalism and marketing for over 15 years. Prior to that, she taught English at colleges and universities in China.
She has studied at:
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland (online) - MSc Library & Information Science
The University of Sutherland (online) - PGCE in Education
Liberty University - BSC Religion (Youth Ministry)
The London School of Journalism
In the future, she is looking towards obtaining her PhD in Education, focusing on "Developing initiatives in the school library to promote literacy and social skills amongst students with high functioning autism in an inclusive environment."
Mrs. Westhead is also a Certified Google Trainer and a National Geographic Certified Educator.