Hi There!
I’m Michelle Strydom

Explore and Enjoy

Welcome and thanks for visiting my site! I invite you to take a moment to look around.

To learn more about my background, experience, skills and how we could potentially work together, simply contact me.

My Experience

Instructor/ Teacher / Administrative Assistant , Washington International High School

December 2019 - ongoing

I am currently employed at this company. I'm responsible for all recruitment activities and other admin projects, such as graphic designing, creating marketing content, as well as inspecting grammar on important documents and marketing content. I am proud to identify myself as an ambassador of Washington High School.  I am also hired as an English Literature and Writing instructor for both junior and senior high school students which signifies that I'm familiar with teaching kindergarten, elementary school, junior-high school , and senior high school. I teach literature, grammar and Lexile online reading. I teach Career Planning, as a student councillor (preparing for SAT's and other standardised testing), and I teach Art Appreciation as subjects. I also run my own extracurricular club, The Cultural Kitchen, where students are encouraged to explore different cultures through their taste buds. This includes the introduction to the cuisine, exploration of ingredients, as well as cooking or baking, and tasting. I assisted students in preparing for The Teen Diplomatic Envoys Contest. I also assist a music class in reaching their music goals.

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I enjoy teaching all age groups. My main focus is to make learning English as fun and accessible as possible.

Online Instructor, ITutor

February 2020 - ongoing

I use my free time to teach online classes to students of all ages. I have 25 min classes with young students and 40 min classes with adults and older students.  My responsibilities include accessing students' English capabilities and adapting to teach them in a way that is more beneficial and effective.  The variety of topics covered during lessons are greatly diverse and interesting. I started teaching online to save up for the future, but it turned out I liked it more than expected. I have a flexible schedule and I get to gain experience and knowledge in the educational field. 

Private English Tutor

September 2020 - Ongoing

I have one-on-one tutor lessons with the son of one of Taichung's well known principals. The material is mostly focused on conversation. We're also looking at current events world wide and we've been studying phonetical symbols. 

Event Planner & Founder, Taichung Poetry Collective

March 2020 - ongoing

In a foreign​ country such as Taiwan, where people tend to speak in dialects that  you don't necessarily understand, it is tough to express yourself. I couldn't find any similar workshops or collectives for English speakers to come together to express themselves and work on their writing skills, so I created the group. It has been going great. We meet up every fortnight for workshops and we also do readings at events. We're planning to create and publish a chapbook soon. At first I expected that only foreigners would join, but a lot of the local comunity is also interested in the workshops. Check out our pages on Facebook and Instagram.

Event Planner & Founder, Figure Drawing Taichung

February 2020 - ongoing

I organise fortnight events where both foreigners and locals are invited to join us in figure drawing. We provide materials, drinks, a model, and an Art Instructor to aid those in need of guidance or advice. We've had a couple of events and it has been going great! Check out our pages on Facebook and Instagram.

ESL Teacher, Hess International Education Group

November 2016 - November 2019

My role in this company consisted of teaching English as a second language to students between the ages of two up to the ages of fifteen. The teaching material included art, science, creative writing, grammar, conversation, phonemic recognition and pronunciation and accelerated reading. I also teach Kindergarten students. My responsibilities included curriculum development, lesson planning, classroom management, performance directing and choreography, instructing public speaking classes and events, private tutoring, being an ambassador for the company, hosting company events, creating and presenting presentations, designing posters and pamphlets as well as creating and directing videos for performances and marketing.

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Some of the skills I acquired while working here includes being able to meet strict deadlines, planning ahead, and being detail oriented. I'm also able to independently manage any classroom situation. I've also been focused on improving my creative and editing skills. I truly enjoy the work environment and find it completely fulfilling but I'm open to new opportunities and traveling experiences.

Private English Tutor

February 2017 - August 2017

My responsibilities included one-on-one educational assistance to elementary school students as well as a few adults. I strove to assist the students in improving their English reading , writing, and speaking skills. I was also responsible for setting up lessons, assigning homework, and correcting homework and tests. I had to identify the various needs of the students in order to make the most out of the lessons I prepared. I enjoyed the one-on-one lessons because it was easy to recognize the progress that the students made.

Administrative Assistant, North West University Admissions Office

January 2015 - Januay 2016

I assisted the Admissions Office during the registration period. My responsibilities included approaching and corresponding with potential students and their parents, serving as a source of information for applicants  and assisting them with the admissions process. My duties also included filing, telephonic correspondence and counter services.

Receptionist, Aardklop Clover

August 2015

My job responsibilities included selling and collecting admission tickets and passes, examining tickets and passes to verify authenticity, guiding patrons to exits in case of emergencies, maintaining order in crisis situations and ensuring all patrons adhere to safety rules, providing assistance with special needs, such as helping those with wheelchairs, assisting patrons in finding seats, searching for lost articles, and locating facilities such as restrooms, refusing admittance to undesirable persons without valid tickets or passes and settling disputes, (ask me about this, I have some interesting stories). Other duties included distributing programs, changing advertising displays, and solving customer concerns.

Supervisor, North West University

April 2016

My responsibilities included setting up the examination venue by placing student booklets and examination papers in accordance with strict procedures, implementing the exam rules and regulations and remaining vigilant throughout the process and assisting students before, during, and after the examination by directing them to their seats, advising them about possessions permitted at examination venues and dealing with queries raised by the students. 

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The skills I acquired from this position include integrity and vigilance. 

Assistant, North West University

May 2015

This position's responsibilities were grounded on the idea of being an ambassador for the university and requiting potential students to attend the university as first year students the following year.

Assistant Researcher, SANBS

2016

My responsibilities included conducting in depth research for the company. I then used the research to write a dissertation as part of my honors studies at the North West University.  I had to conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze data, prepare materials such as interview questions, recruit and interview subjects, maintain accurate records of interviews, safeguard the confidentiality of subjects, summarize interviews, and provide ready access to all experimental data for the my lecturers and for the company.

Researcher, Potchefstroom Herald

2016

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Event Planner, North-West University Wine Guild

October 2014 - November 2015

My responsibilities included organizing facilities and details such as decor, catering, entertainment, transportation, location, invitee list, special guests, equipment, promotional material etc. These responsibilities included building relationships with wine sponsors and staying up to date on my wine knowledge.

Event Planner, Post-Graduate Year End Event

October 2016

I was responsible for organizing facilities and details such as decor, catering, entertainment, transportation, location, invitee list, special guests, equipment, promotional material etc. I hosted the event along with planning it. I designed the invitations and created special awards for the students and lecturers. I also directed videos which was given to the guests as gifts.

Part-Time Graphic Designer, Future Beauty

2014 - 2016

My duties and responsibilities at this company included meeting with clients to determine the scope of the project, advising clients on designs and strategies to reach a particular audience, creating images to identify with the products, developing and  designing logo's and stickers for company products, selecting colors, images, text styles and layouts, presenting and defending designs to clients, incorporating changes, and reviewing designs and errors before printing them.

Assistant, Rocha Chic Boutique

2010 - 2012

I worked at Rocha Chic Boutique part time, weekends and on school holidays. My responsibilities included assisting clients with questions and queries such as giving fashion advice and assisting with fittings. I was also responsible for approaching customers, promoting products, providing information on discounts, answering to customer inquiries and collecting payments.

The skills I acquired from this position include: the ability to sell, resilience, customer service orientation, good understanding of products, and the ability to attain and exceed sales goals.

Volunteer, Potchefstroom Orthopedic and Sport Centre

2016

I created an integrated marketing plan for the company based on self-collected research from both current and potential clients. I then formulated a strategy and presented it to the managers to encourage and assist implementation. The strategy's foundation was based on re-branding the company and expanding the client population, and to do this on all media platforms. 

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The skills I acquired include public speaking, the ability to present and defend a strategy and conducting detailed research from perceptions and needs of others. I especially enjoyed creating social media based strategies and posts. 

Volunteer, Vaal Pets

2017

I created a social media strategy for this NGO as part of a recognized project. My responsibilities included an analysis of the organization’s current situation, conducting qualitative research and engaging in focus group research to recommend a social media strategy specifically applicable to this organization.

Volunteer, Khulisa

2015

I created a media kit and a communication plan for this organization as part of a recognized project. The plan was based on constructing a press release and a radio broadcast to promote an awareness event.

Volunteer, Bafenyi Trust

2015

I conducted research to determine whether the organization was suitable to qualify as a community engagement project of the North West University.

Volunteer, Llama Pro Constructions

2015

I created an in-house journal (newsletter) for this organization as part of a recognized project. I had a blast. It’s always fun to combine graphic design with an interesting scope.

Interested in learning more about my professional background?

Education

Honorable Mentions

Recognitions

My Skills

Adaptability and Flexibility

I have experience in a variety of fields which each possessed its own situations and expectations. I have learned a lot from my experiences and I am open to the changes that stems from new opportunities.

Blogging 

Check out my personal blog. Here you will be forced to interpret the thoughts of an anxious, over-thinker, over-dreamer, not very opinionated millennial who, like most, thought that starting a blog would solve all the problems one might come across, but instead discovered that it only provided me with even worse predicaments and troubles. I hope you’re entertained while reading my completely overrated, terribly stretched, mostly boring and tedious, slightly uneducated thoughts- and please feel free to educate when necessary. Life would be a lot better if we teach each other instead of just criticizing and disagreeing. 

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Art & Art History

I am self-taught in drawing and paining using various materials such as pencil, crayon, pastel, charcoal, acrylic and water paint. I am also an Art History Buff and I teach Art Appreciation.  

Photography Portfolio