Naomi Toland has taught in different countries researching nutrition, neuroscience, and psychology. She believes these topics help us communicate, challenge ourselves, collaborate, and better understand ways to look after our wellbeing. Naomi shares what she learns on her Empathetic Educators platform.

Your Background

Naomi Toland is originally from Derry in Ireland. One of Naomi’s passions is traveling as she believes it challenges her perspectives on life and opens her eyes to how she and others see the world. Growing up in Ireland, Naomi spent every Summer traveling and exploring her beautiful homeland with her family and believes these experiences ignited her love of going on adventures off the beaten path to what the world has to offer.

Your Journey as a Teacher

I spent my first 3 years teaching in Hackney, London working with a multicultural community in an inner-city school. I feel very grateful to have had this experience in my foundational years as a teacher. It exposed me to the need for empathy, understanding, and connection. I took on the role of Arts Coordinator that had a huge impact on developing my interest in the importance of arts in the classroom. I was responsible for creating opportunities for teachers and parents, helping them weave the arts curriculum into their lessons and home. This shifted my own mindset of what is possible to help to learn come to life.

I spent 3 months traveling and teaching in South America. Aat one point, I volunteered at a nature reserve in Costa Rica (Reserva Tortuga). This included nightly patrols to preserve turtle eggs from poachers, teaching children about sustainability and safety, crocodile tagging, and snake walks. This was my first time in a country where I did not speak the language. I loved learning from the people I met along the way!

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