MariaSteffy

United States
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Travel information

I am currently

At home

Activities i am interested in:

currently in nyc. Traveling in June.
Description

Hi
My name is Maria. I have been a teacher in NYC for 23 years. I love traveling , writing, nature and dancing . I thought this would be a great way to get to know the people and culture of a place more than just staying at a hotel or air b and b. I'm super excited to work in different fields on here and to learn more. Hopefully, I can offer something that will also benefit you. I do have an EU passport, but I live in the United States (new york)

I live in a city and always appreciate leaving to go to nature. I consider myself a curious person with an adventurous side. I have usually traveled alone and love to meet new people. Maybe, I am an older workawayer, but I think it will be an interesting experience, with an opportunity to make seeing new places even more meaningful. I am able to speak Italian and a tiny bit of spanish. I consider myself very good at writing and of course able to teach as I explore.

I would love to help in teaching children and /or adults as it is what I have done for the last two decades. I love teaching and the relationships I have made with my students. I am able to teach all subjects at the primary level and feel competent also to teach adults english . I can also help with creating and implementing a new curriculum .

I do not have professional experience with animals, but have raised my own dogs, cats and for a brief time bunnies :) my entire life. I have also done several volunteer (Workaway and Worldpacker) jobs on farms and with home pets. I adore animals and would love a chance to also work with them.

I am also trained in mindfulness, coaching, positive psychology, and trauma release exercises. I feel very passionate about helping people to be able to regulate for better presence in the world.

Thanks so much for reading my profile and I hope to meet you soon.I have
Interests

Dancing

DIY & crafts

Plant care

Technology

Water sports

Winter sports

Sustainability

Drawing & painting

Art & design

Hiking

Charity work

Gardening

Mountain

Languages

Animals

Nature

Farming

Culture

Adventure sports

Fitness

Beach

Writing

Pets

Self development

Outdoor activities

Vegetarian or vegan

Yoga / Wellness

Camping

Books

Blogging
Languages

Languages spoken
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Babysitting and creative play

Being an elderly companion

Light maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Art Projects

Some knowledge of:

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Languages

Able to teach about:

Teaching
More details about your skills

Hi. Welcome to my profile.

I have been a public school teacher for the last twenty three years, fully certified in the state of New York in elementary education (general education), secondary education (7-12 English Language Arts) and Gifted Education (preK-12) I taught elementary education for 17 years both gifted and talented and general education. In the last 6 years, I have been a middle School English Language Arts teacher with general, ESL, and special education populations. I also have experience teaching English language learners both in class and with various after school centers as well as adults.
I am skilled in creating and implementing lesson plans in all primary school areas as well as middle school. Although I haven't taught high school and adults (aside from tutoring), I feel confident in my abilities to teach english as well as creative and technical writing

I have worked in other areas such as sales, medical assistant and tutoring one on one.
I am very eager to learn any other skills. I do have some technological skills, and looking to advance in this area. I am able to speak Italian and would love to learn Spanish which I can understand most of the time. I spent much time traveling in nature and adore animals . I have taken care of many in my life including bunnies, cats and dogs.

I am trained also in mindfulness, positive psychology and trauma release exercises and can help children and adults learn resilience
skills.
Age

54
What else ...

I love traveling and meeting new people.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  I am vegetarian

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17 Oct 2025

Left by host (Seeking with animal care in ...) for Workawayer ()

Maria is a very caring and empathetic person, with a deep understanding of animals – especially those that have experienced trauma and require special care.
She is highly reliable and has a remarkable ability to sense and respond to the needs of animals.

(Excellent )

6 Oct 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Seeking with animal care in ...)

I actually still miss Ozzie and Emma :) They are the sweetest dogs with such distinct personalities. My job consisted of taking them for walks in the woods (which was so lovely), cleaning the chinchillas (who were so cute) and cleaning up different areas. The work was fair and pretty easy. the area was calm and quiet and really beautiful. On my … read more

(Excellent )

11 Aug 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help out in our little farm ...)

I loved staying here. Majda went out of her way to make me feel at home. She's an amazing cook, and every day treated us (me and another workawayer) to a different Slovenian dish. She took us through the village and taught us so much about the forest. I swear she's a forest fairy 😂. I felt truly at home with her and John. She was also flexible … read more

(Excellent )

30 May 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Stay at our non-profit ...)

Chagai immediately accepted me when I contacted him to stay at his place. I only stayed one night but would have loved to stay longer. I felt like I became part of a community right away. He invited me to a dinner/meetup with his friends and I got to talk to many interesting people. He is fun, funny, and easy to talk to. I didn't do much in return … read more

(Excellent )

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Communication:
(4.9)

Skills:
(4.9)

Observed house rules:
(5.0)

17 Oct 2025

Left by host (Seeking with animal care in ...) for Workawayer

(Excellent)

6 Oct 2025

Left by Workawayer for host (Seeking with animal care in ...)

(Excellent)

11 Aug 2025

Left by Workawayer for host (Help out in our little farm ...)

(Excellent)

30 May 2025

Left by Workawayer for host (Stay at our non-profit ...)

(Excellent)

19 Oct 2024

Left by Workawayer for host (Animal carers welcome to join ...)

Everyone here is so kind and creates such a good atmosphere for volunteers. I always felt like I was around the presence of friends. The cats and dogs are SO sweet and easy to love. The work was as described and expected, cleaning and feeding.

On days off I was able to go to Athens which is about an hour away. It's also possible to visit other … read more

(Excellent)

16 Jul 2024

Left by host (Sunny Antalya and our family ...) for Workawayer

It was great pleasure for us to host Maria,
She was like someone that we've known eachother for many years.
Maria is awesome at her profession, she helped Ada with her English perfectly.
She has very good communication skills with kids and adults.
shes clever, clean, tidy, friendly, patient, empatehetic person & a woman of her word.
We had … read more

(Excellent)

30 Jun 2024

Left by Workawayer for host (Sunny Antalya and our family ...)

I loved this stay. Deniz welcomed me into his home with Ada like I was an old friend or family.

My job was to help Ada with English. She is a very special girl who I loved spending time with. We didn't just work on English, we also went out together to the beach, talked a lot, ate together and had a wonderful time.

Deniz was always trying to … read more

(Excellent)

17 Mar 2024

Left by Workawayer for host (Striving for self-sufficiency ...)

My stay with Harry and Sylvia was like being with two old friends. I felt very at home and enjoyed the days and even tasks. Sylvia always worked with me in gardening, painting, cleaning and even washing Freek (the dog). On my days off I got to see a bit of other nearby cities. Sylvia also took me on a day out to a nearby town that was so nice. I … read more

(Excellent)

16 Mar 2024

Left by host (Striving for self-sufficiency ...) for Workawayer

Maria is a hardworking and very reliable woman. She is very easy to deal with and you can have nice conversations with her. We were sorry to say goodbye, she should have stayed longer. Highly recommended to assume!

(Excellent)

6 Dec 2023

Left by host (Taking care of our cats in ...) for Workawayer

First of all an apology for this super late Feedback! Maria stayed in our home for about two weeks in October to help look after our cats while we had to travel. She shared our place with another workawayer, which turned out to be very practical for all of us. She was super reliable and easy to communicate with. We sadly only spent one evening … read more

(Excellent)

9 Nov 2023

Left by Workawayer for host (Taking care of our cats in ...)

I only met Sonia and Levant once but they seemed very sweet and I felt very comfortable right away. I was house and cat sitting with another workawayer and enjoyed my stay. Truth is, there isn't much work besides feeding time and cleaning the litter box daily, and the cats are so sweet. The other workawayer and I divided our days to work so that … read more

(Excellent)

30 Jun 2023

Left by host (Help local children to ...) for Workawayer

Maria spent two busy weeks with us. It was enriching experience and we were really sorry we didn´t have more time together. There is always next time. Maria is welcomed back anytime.

(Excellent)

27 Jun 2023

Left by Workawayer for host (Help local children to ...)

Vrchlabi was a calm, quiet town with very nice people and beautiful surroundings . I really enjoyed meeting the students and helping them to improve their English . They were sweet, and respectful. Šárka , Lucie and the other teachers were so welcoming and helpful . I always felt supported and like I was around friends . I would definitely … read more

(Excellent)

1 Mar 2023

Left by host (American family welcomes help ...) for Workawayer

Maria was lovely. She is a teacher and it was extremely helpful as she helped my twins with their homework,

She carried out her responsibilities to perfection.

We highly recommend Maria.

(Very good)

1 Feb 2023

Left by Workawayer for host (American family welcomes help ...)

I loved this experience and can highly reccomend . The family is lovely and very welcoming. I immediately felt like part of the family . They even had a birthday party for me. Raji and Sean became friends and I'm so grateful for their kindness . The girls I took care of were so sweet and respectful and we bonded well . The location is great, … read more

(Excellent)

8 Dec 2022

Left by host (Seeking help to learn ...) for Workawayer

Adorei a experiência de ter a Maria conosco. É sobretudo uma ótima professora e uma excelente pessoa. Muito amiga dos animais, os cãozinhos da vizinhança também vão sentir a falta dela.

(Excellent)

11 Nov 2022

Left by Workawayer for host (Seeking help to learn ...)

I loved staying with Marcela and feel like I made a new friend . She's a wonderful person. and her children are very sweet I stayed with her in her home in the mountains and it was very beautiful . Marcela even took me on day trips to Porto and Braga . I look forward to seeing Marcela again .

(Excellent)

27 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer for host (Meet people from all over the ...)

I loved this experience. Adrianne , Heather and Clint were such nice people and made me immediately feel welcome . I worked about 4 hours a day with other volunteeers who were wonderful. Seward is a beautiful place with lots to offer .

Don't hesitate to apply .

(Excellent)