Featured Teacher - Carolyn Flores

My name is Carolyn Flores and I was born and raised in Canada. I’ve been teaching ESL for over 20 years in both the classroom and 1-on-1. Before getting into this dynamic and ever changing field of ESL, I was an Urban Planner working endlessly and tirelessly on projects and proposals for a private development company. It didn’t take me long to realize that this career path was not going to satisfy my desire to work with people in a more passionate and rewarding way and to learn more about the world around me. So, I took a leap of faith and switched gears.

I obtained my necessary ELT training and certification and headed straight to the hills of Honduras, Central America to fill in for a one year ESL teaching position. I also taught throughout Honduras in various English schools and hotels, and set up a tutoring centre called Living English. Ten years later, I returned to Canada and have been teaching English to newcomers in Canada at the Centre for Skills, Development and Training in Burlington, Ontario ever since. I also started a tutoring and coaching business that primarily serves students in the elementary and secondary school years as well as adult ESL students.

Teaching English in a foreign country was a great achievement and experience in my life. Not only did I learn about methods and strategies to teach non-English speakers of all ages, but I gained a deeper understanding of what some of the challenges might be when learning a language and settling into a new country.

ESL Made Easy

When I’m not busy teaching, I’m usually exploring and learning more about the exciting changes and opportunities in the ESL field. In the past year, I have stumbled across hundreds of online English language teaching platforms, resources and discussion groups. It’s overwhelming to see the number of blogs and websites out there full of tips, ideas, and resources for teachers and ESL students worldwide. Wanting to have and share all these resources in a one-stop hub, I created www.eslmadeeasy.ca.

ESLMadeEasy has been a work in progress as I continue seeking out compelling and useful links to worksheets, activities, books, and ideas for teaching ESL in the classroom and 1-on-1. I also post current and relevant topics and ideas (Ex: World Habitat Day, Earth Day, World Population Day…etc.) to get students talking, sharing ideas and exchanging information with each other. Teachers are also invited to comment on any post and share their favourite links to online resources too.

Advice for New Teachers

If I were to give one piece of advice to teachers working in ESL classrooms, I would suggest carving out more in-class time for student-centred conversation. Getting students to practice their speaking rather than just studying the words of English is key for developing confidence and fluency. Read more about this topic in the article Making Room for Conversation on TESL Ontario’s blog.

Be sure to stop by my blog and sign up for updates on any new posts. Also stay tuned for the launch of two EBooks coming out this September – From Teacher to Tutor - How to Start Your Own Tutoring Business and Conversation Plus - 48 Student Centred Reading and Speaking Lessons for teachers to use in the classroom and 1-on-1!

Check out ESL Made Easy

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