- Name: Derek Plewes
- Age: 28
- Current location: Caledon, Ontario, Canada
- Home town: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
- Education: BA in Geography and History, University of Victoria Graduate Diploma in Education, Secondary Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Current position: Lead Teacher and Program Developer, MEI International Academy
- Organization description: MEI International Academy was founded in 1997, and gives high school students a new way to earn credits, while travelling around the world.
- Bio: Derek Plewes started his career in the mining industry, using his background in geographic information systems to create maps and plans—until he realized it wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life. Now, when he looks at maps, it’s to plan new programs and adventures for his students at MEI Academy. As lead teacher and program developer, he teaches, but also recruits, creates textbooks and curricula, and develops new programming, while travelling around the world with groups of students.
- Countries I've worked in: Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Belize, Costa Rica, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Fiji
- Sector / subsectors: Education, Experiential Education
- Areas of expertise: Education, Geography, History, Travel, Business, and Physical Ed.
- Country: Australia, Belize, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Vietnam
- Region: North America, Central America, Oceania, Asia
- Sector: Education
- Degree subject: Education, Geography
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What organization do you work for and what is your role?
Meet Derek Plewes. As a product of the MEI “system”, he understands the strengths of this experiential education program as a student as well as a teacher.
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How did you get to where you are now? What was your career trajectory?
Derek tells us how he went from an unmotivated high school student, to working in the mining industry, to selling solar panels in Australia, and how all of it helps him be a better teacher.
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So you were working at a solar panel company, and then got a job teaching? How did your job offer come about?
Derek tells us how basic networking, and relationship building, led to a job in experiential education.
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Wow, so staying in touch with your old teachers really paid off. Can you tells us some more about networking?
Derek tells us about the phone call he made at 19 years old, that ended up leading to his current career, and what you should be taking advantage of if you’re a student.
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What’s an average day in the life like, when you are on the road?
Derek talks about the importance of teamwork between teachers, while travelling, and how they interconnect landmarks and locations with actual lesson plans.
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What are your tasks when you aren’t travelling? What are you doing when you’re back in Toronto?
Just because he isn’t travelling doesn’t mean the work ends. Derek talks to us about recruiting, making sure their courses line up with Ontario curriculum, creating new travel programs, and of course hiring new teachers.
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You mentioned hiring teachers, and teacher teams. How many teachers are out on each trip?
Derek talks about how having more teachers and less students allows the teens to open up more.
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You mentioned that your team hires for summer programs. What you are looking for when you’re hiring at MEI Academy?
From tangible teachables, to personality fit, Derek breaks down the what they’re looking for at MEI.
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What abilities, traits or special skills do successful applicants bring to the table?
Derek explains why camp counsellors are perfect for the work at MEI.
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You mentioned that a lot of staff return year after year. Talk to me about that.
Despite a lot of the jobs at MEI being seasonal, Derek explains their robust training program, and how it keeps teachers coming back and progressing.
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You’ve been involved in hiring dozens of teachers. What are your best interview tips?
Derek tells us the biggest mistakes he sees people make in interviews.
