My Profile

Hello. I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in east Tennessee, near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. My adolescent years were filled with learning to appreciate and protect nature, hiking a lot, and riding my bicycle whenever possible. It was an ideal place to grow up. I have carried my love of nature, bicycling, and hiking with me throughout life.

Both of my parents were teachers, so I guess it is a natural path for me to follow. I have been a teacher of some sort or another for most of my life. I have also worked in several labor sectors including dairy farming, agriculture, construction, chemical laboratories, teaching art at college and universities, teaching English in Germany, and several tutoring and substitute teaching jobs in the USA.

My specialities are business English, conversational English, art, and the environment. I am TEFL and TESOL certified and have earned an MBA. With my vast knowledge in many different areas, I tailor English lessons to fit my students’ passions, levels of comprehension, and goals. I enjoy the interaction with my students and bring a comfortable learning environment with each lesson. My lessons are geared for improving students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to their maximum abilities in as short a period as possible.

I also have experience in editing graduate and post-graduate theses, assisting with immigration and citizenship paperwork, facilitating, implementing computer language programs, translating German into English, and editing English documents.

I hope to see you in one of my classes!

English is a very interesting language with its many influences from other languages. The interaction with learners of English and their desire to learn another language is motivating and inspiring. I enjoy learning from my students and think it is an honor to help them learn the skills that are necessary in order to become proficient in their chosen new language.

My philosophy in teaching English is fairly basic. I want my students to enjoy learning, so I make the atmosphere light and enjoyable. I cater my lessons to them specifically, taking into account what their goals for learning English are. I want them to become as efficient as possible in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, so they can become comfortable communicating with anyone who speaks English.

I enjoy both in-person and online learning. I see both as having a very positive potential for accumulating knowledge. Of course, I prefer one-on-one teaching the best, but am also accustomed to small groups and large groups if the circumstances call for it.