Hello and welcome to my website! My name is Devon Whitham, and I'm very happy you are here.

Teaching Experience

I have a wide range of teaching experience. I have taught both in New York City public schools and abroad at an international school in Hanoi, Vietnam. My experience includes teaching 5th grade homeroom, upper elementary ESL, middle school ESL, middle school social studies (Ancient Civilizations and World Geography), and an 11th/12th grade Comparative Government and Economics class. I have also coached competitive middle school debate and served as a coordinator for high school level Model United Nations.

Professional Career Prior to Teaching

I came into teaching as a career changer rounding thirty. Before then, I was a hotel worker union organizer, a labor movement communications specialist, and an assistant to a vice-president of the AFL-CIO who was working to make the US labor movement more inclusive of immigrant workers. In that position I had the honor of representing the US labor movement as a delegate to the International Labor Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. After completing one year of law school at UCLA I decided to change career directions and entered the New York City Teaching Fellows program, which enabled me to teach full time while completing a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). My professional career prior to teaching provides me with a unique perspective and breadth of experience to bring into the classroom. I am an educator with an organizer's heart, and I always seek to inspire my students to consider how they can use what they are learning in the classroom to affect change in their communities and the world around them.

World Traveler and Member of an International Family

I am a world traveler that has had the tremendous privilege of visiting over 25 countries. I have also lived in Chile, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. I met my husband, Shunsuke, a Japanese national, while teaching abroad in Vietnam. Together, we have a son, Kiyo, who holds duel Japanese and American citizenship. We are a family that values travel and takes every opportunity we get to learn about new places, cultures, and histories through our adventures.

SCUBA Enthusiast

I am a huge SCUBA enthusiast. Several years ago I realized my dream of running off to a paradise island to dive full time when I took two years away from the classroom to teach SCUBA diving in Thailand.