Shawn

 Shawn Swinger Social Studies Teacher/Content Writer Japan, Shiga-ken, Otsu-shi Suimei, 1 chome,- --EXPERIENCE Freelance Content Writer, Kyoto, Japan March 2015 - PRESENT In and around 2015 I wrote 8 articles for “Japan Travel.” I went out to various locations in Aomori prefecture and wrote articles to help tourists both want to go to these places and how to do so. From 2023, I have written over 50 travel and life abroad articles for Medium and Substack. My highest-viewed article has over 7,000 reads. Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School, Kyoto, Japan — Social Studies Teacher April 2016 - PRESENT I exclusively taught high school courses as the teacher of record in the classroom in the Immersion Program where most of the courses are taught in English. My taught subjects include World History (Ancient and Modern), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Citizenship, Academic Writing, Extended Essay, English Communications, and English for Academic Purposes. I am also a vice homeroom teacher and a member of the Immersion Program’s Department. Lastly, I am a leader of my school’s Model United Nations (MUN) program, having assisted in organizing dozens of MUNs run by other schools and in leading Ritsumeikan’s inaugural MUN in December 2019 and two subsequent MUNs in 2020 and 2021. Interac, Aomori, Japan — Head Teacher and ALT April 2013 - March 2016 As an ALT in an elementary school setting, I helped design and enact English lessons for grades 1-6. In a rare move concerning ALTs, I was given the lead and the final say over how the English lessons would be conducted. I was also the Head Teacher for the entire Aomori region which entailed responsibilities such as observing colleagues' lessons from primary to secondary classrooms and providing feedback, checking in with other ALTs every month to assess their overall professional conditions, and organizing prefecture-wide events such as summer English camps. Akita International University, Akita, Japan — Academic Writing Tutor September 2011 -March 2012 I assisted university students in writing academic essays. My main task was to help these students solidify thesis statements and learn how to support those statements with evidence. I was responsible for writing detailed reports on each session and scheduling my own hours in conjunction with tutees. Several students saw a dramatic rise in their essay quality (reflected in their grades) shortly after a few of my sessions. EDUCATION University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland — Masters of Science in History with Merit September 2013 - June 2017 Master's Degree in History with a focus on East Asian and European International History from the late 1800s to 1945. My Dissertation focused on how Japan’s foreign policy decision-making process was influenced by the Paris Peace Conference that concluded the First World War. San Francisco State University, San Francisco, USA — Bachelor of Arts in History September 2010 - June 2012 Bachelor's Degree in History with a focus on European History from 1500 to the present day. My graduation thesis focused on British perceptions of the Imperial German Army’s use of Nietzsche's writings to encourage soldiers during the First World War. SKILLS Experienced teacher who can plan and execute lessons, manage the classroom, and create and perform proper assessments. SEO Content and Copywriting for travel-focused topics. CERTIFICATES Secondary Social Studies License from the USA Masters of Science in History N2 level of Japanese ability on the JLPT exam. IB certificate CAT 1 in History IB certificate CAT 1 in TOK PROJECTS Organized and supervised nine Model United Nations events in the Kansai region -) Gave several academic lectures on teaching content courses to English Language Learners for JALT on Ritsumeikan Uji’s behalf.