My Profile

I am a highly accomplished leader and creative teacher with TESOL certification who is looking for a new and different opportunity.

As my resume shows, I have decades of experience in creating effective corporate communications and have written for many Fortune 500 CEOs, presidents and high profile business leaders within national and international companies. I've proven that I work well and relate easily with people throughout different organizations from the "C-suite" to front-line workers.  

I am experienced in creating, leading and facilitating learning events.

I am also expert in interviewing, gathering news, and conducting foundational research. Clients and teammates find me to be calm, assured, and poised in handling both positive and challenging assignments . 

Many of the assignments that I had as executive were designed to increase learning in adults. That is why I am interested in teaching now.

I have traveled throughout the world and have great respect and tolerance for cultures outside of the one I was raised in. I am very comfortable with people who live their lives differently than me and look forward to teaching them a new language. 

In addition I have a fine arts degree from one of the most respected art colleges in the nation. I began my career as a communications agency creative director, writer, producer and director. I have designed, written, and directed hundreds of events, films and videos in venues across the country and around the world. This puts me in a wonderful position to use that knowledge to bring creativity to the classroom, whether that is directly (in an art or design class) or to use those skills to make lessons come to life.

I have raised several children and was very involved with their education. I am now a single person so you would not have to be concerned about how my spouse might view this assignment. I speak very clearly and am very patient with young people. Also I am a professional writer so I have the ability to recognize the proper use of language for informal, formal and business situations. I just closed my self-owned business so I am free to begin soon. 

Thank you for your consideration. For further perspective, please see the following questions and answers.

Why is teaching important to you?

Almost every significant communications and engagement assignment that I had in my business career involved teaching and learning. I have had to craft teaching and learning to take place at live events, in classrooms, online, through self-study, during coaching sessions and in many other ways. It’s proven to me that it teaching and learning is essential to making progress – whether that progress is in business, humanitarian efforts or personal growth.

What motivates you as a student? What do you think motivates other students?

I am naturally very curious about the world and how it works. This has motivated me to pursue life-long studies of both of my craft and of other aspects of the world, particularly ancient history. I am motivated by the need to know more, to go beyond a superficial understanding of a topic. I am sure that other people share these motivations but I also know that they may have very different and equally valid reasons for being a student. It could be practical reasons (they want to achieve certain goals in business) or to fulfill some interest or passion (they want to know about a different culture) or it could be to simply fit in with their peers (to be with the friends in school). These are all common and valid motivations.

Think of some activities you may have used in the classroom or else participated in as a student. What made each one a negative or positive experience?

My particular learning style favors interaction and self-guided development. Although I can learn from lectures, too many times they were not dynamic enough to hold my attention or effectively transmit knowledge. Exercises that are either done individually or with others in a group – and the discussions that follow these exercises have been effective and enjoyable for me. The best learning experience is a combination of techniques which ensures that all learning styles are used. 

How do you (or would you) establish rapport with your students?

Rapport is a journey that both of us would take. I would start with some basic understanding of the cultural norms and expectations so that I would not inadvertently send out a signal that would be confusing or offensive to the students. Then I would consistently do small exercises that allowed the students to reveal things about themselves and their lives. I would also participate in those exercises so that they could learn something about me. These interactions would not be designed so that I would be their friend, but rather to help us make progress in the teaching and learning in an interesting, personal and respectful way.

What goes into the grading process? What makes the grading process effective or ineffective?

Grading is essential because without clear feedback the students, the teacher, parents and the administration can’t understand what has been learned and what requires further attention. Grading should be consistent and as fair as possible at all times. I have always found that beyond any letter grade or numerical grade, the commentary that accompanies it is very useful so that the student understands what they can and should do to continue to improve.

What makes you think you would be a good language teacher?

First of all I am an expert writer, editor and have been the mentor to many young professionals in my field.  My strength is the great diversity of experiences that I have had in my previous professional career. And beyond that, my grandfather and father were excellent teachers and coaches. They modeled for me how to build individual and group skills so that everyone makes progress and that their progress is sustainable.

How can teachers improve their effectiveness in the classroom?

One can always learn from other teachers who have tried, struggled and succeeded with students. Their experience and insights can help you become better faster. Beyond that, understanding that students have a variety of preferred learning styles should motivate us to bring a variety of methods and techniques, so that every student can progress in ways that are most natural to them.

What are your perceptions of language learners? What attributes help make them successful versus unsuccessful?

Language learners study for many different reasons and come to class with a wide range of skills. Of course there are natural groupings of children, young adults and adults – and their skills and motivations can be generally understood. But underneath those generalities are very personal motivations. The one common factor is that being able to understand a different language opens the door to understanding and accomplishment that is not available if you only know your native tongue. Almost no one studying another language is intrinsically interested in it – studying it for its own sake. So if the motivation is to be able to widen ones horizons and participate in the world in new ways, the teaching a new language will be more successful if it continues to emphasize the “door opening” opportunities that come with the mastery of the language.

What are some of your concerns in the language-learning classroom? How can they be addressed?

Most of my concerns about a language-learning classroom can be addressed by the right preparation – choosing the approach, methods and techniques that are most fitting to these students and then delivering them in a positive, supportive classroom. I do wonder how difficult it will be to handle a mix of motivations such as I might find with adult learners, whose previous learning experiences and expectations could vary tremendously. Right now I think I would address that by finding “middle ground” so that most of their needs are met most of the time. And then I would continually adjust my style and the exercises to fit their needs as I became more attuned to the mix of their needs.

What are your attitudes toward collaborative teaching (i.e. with another teacher)?

Collaboration is a wonderful way to get the best from both teachers and to keep the students interested and energized. Every teacher has his or her own strengths and style. The mix of these strengths and styles helps ensure that students, with their mix of learning styles, are taught in ways that are most comfortable for them. And, through collaboration, new ideas and methods are more likely to be discovered by the two teachers, leading to better results in the classroom.