Experience Summary
I have extensive experience teaching language-based skills to both native and non-native English speakers. My first teaching experience involved listening and speaking courses for elementary, middle, and high school students in Japan. Later, as an eighth grade English teacher in an American middle school, I taught reading and language arts to students of all levels and backgrounds. At present, I teach and tutor pre-university level English courses for international students who hope to enter into degree programs in the United States. The courses that I teach include research, academic listening and note-taking, reading strategies, vocabulary, public speaking, test-taking skills, and academic writing.
Teaching Style
In both my tutoring and teaching, I firmly believe in change. If I walk into a low energy classroom of students slouching in desks, the first thing I do is ask them to stand up. If I am tutoring a student who struggles with vocabulary, he and I will work to find a completely new way to study.
In accordance with this concept of change, I also concentrate on adapting myself to the mood and personality of my student or students. While my natural inclination is still to prepare and overprepare for any teaching assignment, six years in the classroom have taught me that I must be willing to throw out the lesson plan and change if the student is not receptive. Ultimately, my goal is to motivate students and provide them with a variety of tools to help them succeed.