ESL Teachers

Colleen Reese
Summary of Key Qualifications

• Experience in public speaking and cross-cultural communication.
• Mentoring and teaching children and young adults.
• Proven ability to adapt, resourcefulness and a strong desire to learn and teach in new cultures.
• Certifications in teaching English and persons diagnosed with Autism

Work Experience

Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
Board Certified Behavior Technician
July 2021-current
• Working with children (ages 4 to 19) diagnosed with Autism
• Ran specialized academic, motor, socialization, and communication lessons tailored to each client
• Implemented behavioral interventions to teach children self-management in multiple settings

Academic Center at Northwestern State University
Language Tutor
August 2019-May 2020
• Tutored at different levels of English, French, and Spanish
• Provided one on one, group, and online tutoring
• Experience using different techniques to explain difficult concepts
• Worked efficiently with people of diverse backgrounds to accommodate for the students’ needs

Volunteer and Leadership Experience

Empower 225 Baton Rouge, LA
Tutor and Mentor for at-risk children
February 2021- July 2021
• Tutor young adults and children in English and advancing writing capabilities
• Mentored and taught at-risk children the life skills such as taxes, employment opportunities, etc.
• Volunteer at family events to build relationships and acceptance throughout the community

Louisiana Scholars’ College Natchitoches, LA
Scholars’ College Forum Council Secretary
January 2017- May 2020
• Coordinated events like mentor/mentee gatherings, dances, ad potlucks
• Responsible for updating information regarding council activities on various websites
• Communicated with members of the council and faculty for event planning

Louisiana Scholars’ College Washington D.C.
Presented at a Regional Conference
April 2017
• Main researcher for data on honors programs’ student retention
• Main presenter at the Southern Regional Honors Conference in Washington D.C.
• Responsible for communication and data collection across multiple honors programs and colleges in various states

SPECIALIZED SKILLS & TRAININGS

• Certified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (November 2020)
• Certified as a Board-Certified Autism Technician (BCAT) (December 2021)

HOBBIES
• Outdoors activities such as hiking and rock climbing
• Reading a variety of book genres from history and poetry to fantasy and adventure
• Traveling, exploring new places, eating new food, and experiencing new cultures

In terms of teaching experience I have worked as a Programmes Facilitator for a couple of years, this involved delivering therapeutic programmes to groups of various people. This has given me experience in how to engage and adapt a programme whilst adhering to its structure and principles. I am able to maintain professionalism in extremely challenging enviorments. I have a genuine passion for teaching, as well as learning about different cultures and languages, for me it makes sense to combine these to teaching English abroad. In terms of documents, I have my degree certificate apostille, I have my criminal records check which has been sent to receive an apostille. For start dates I would be available as soon as possible.

I am an easy going person, i don't allow many things to affect me. When it comes to my job or the way I live I like to conduct myself in a professional manner but can also be very laid back and relaxed depending on the situation and my surroundings. Very bubbly personality and know when to be serious.

I tend to make friends easily because I try connect with them on their level and very open minded to different cultures. I enjoy learning new things from people and also enjoy sharing some of my life experiences with them. I have also travelled quite a bit so i have a great insight to many cultures and can easily pick languages up and also communicate and enjoy time with the locals.

Due to my work background I have trained and taught people how to work with different systems and can adapt to their level whether its someone younger than me or older, i am very accommodating and make sure people understand before we move onto the next topic to avoid teaching people the wrong things. I can pick new skills and information quickly making it easy for me to teach others how to do the job and making sure I get everything I have to do done and make sure my team is just as successful at the end of the tasks.

I'm quite a nurturing person, so caring for people comes naturally and I enjoy spending time in family orientated environments because you can learn from the way children behave towards their family and towards each other. Understanding and observing people is something i enjoy doing because you can understand people better by watching how they behave in public and how they carry themselves around people.

8 years experience in training development and training delivery for the Saudi Aramco Oil Company’s employees all over the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, train-the-trainer, one-on-one training, classroom training, blended-learning and online e-learning related to computer software implementations and ongoing training. Additional experience as an onsite support specialist during program go-live and follow-up. Developed and edited e-Learning materials. Voiced on-line lessons and developed on-line quizzes for the on-line course.

Also worked for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company’s Middle School Library for children in 6th-9th Grade. Children of the Executive employees and Senior Staff go to this school. Working in the school library gave me the opportunity and experience to interact with the students on a daily basis.

I was a volunteer at our local church in their ESL program where ESL is being offered for free for those who want to learn English.

With younger children, I had the opportunity teaching in Sunday School and the Daily Vacation Bible school at my hometown church.

When I was working part time in University, I had my first sense of being a tutor because many of my classmates would ask me to clarify some concepts, because I had first hand contact with the lecturers. I became more organized and gained exceptional time management skills. I am currently a volunteer at the local orphanage which has taught me to be more patient and understanding. It can get a bit chaotic at the orphanage because I live in a small time so we only have one orphanage that houses orphans of all ages, including infants. It can get tiring, but it is very fulfilling because I love interacting with people and I know how to interact with children of different ages. I'm a very diligent person, I like to finish what I start and I am 100% dedicated in my work .

My experience thus far has developed my philosophy of valuing each learner as an individual, as well as part of a community. I aim to give learners as many learning opportunities and experiences as possible to engage, motivate and prepare them for future life. A balanced, challenging and creative curriculum is essential in developing learner’s skills, knowledge and understanding of English. These all underpin personalised learning, which I believe is essential to creating an active, language-rich learning environment.

I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills due to the number of years’ experience I have in the Service and Educational fields. I am a dedicated and hardworking individual, who is always looking to improve her abilities as a teacher. I strongly believe my knowledge and experience can be directly impactful on my student's learning and development. I always show a real thirst for achieving exceptional outcomes having gained experience in results-driven environments. This has enabled me to build strong relationships with learners and colleagues, which I believe is key to attaining exceptional development. I also possess the ability to cope with the challenges of a fast-paced and pressured work environment that demands excellent planning and organisational skills.

I am highly effective at teaching groups and individual students in both a school and a corporate environment. Furthermore, I am seeking to contribute my knowledge and expertise in a progressive environment that will challenge me to bring out the best in myself and students alike.

I am a very friendly and ambitious person. I work well with people under any circumstances i am an active person and im always keen to learn from other people

I have the heart and patience for younger children. Growing up With so many little cousins, I can easily say that they look up to me in many ways and always look to me for guidance.

In high school, I gained some coaching experience as a public speaking mentor. As a senior public speaker, I would meet up with the grade 8 students and help them write powerful speeches and coach them into delivering their pieces with confidence.

I have experience as an au pair on two separate occasions. The first being in my final year of high school, where I au paired a 6 year little girl.

The second being in 2020 where I spent the year au pairing two girls, one aged 7 and the other 17.

Both times au pairing, my responsibilities included pick up and drop off from school, assistance with homework such as reading, writing, maths, etc. With the younger children, I often created fun games and activities to help them grasp more difficult concepts.

In my final year at university, I served on the house committee, where I mentored and tutored first year students.

I was a part of the residence mentorship program and helped first years with Spanish classes and often hosted conversation classes to help them improve their conversational Spanish and confidence using the language.

I have three years experience teaching elementary and middle school students. I love the idea of going to class everyday because I love being around children and when I see them my mood changes instantly sometimes I can't even control myself around them I just want them to have fun while learning . The most important thing in the classroom though is management and I have my ways of controlling bad behaviour. I have also worked as an acting HOD for a year where I learnt leadership skills and teamwork.

I hold a 120 hour TEFL certification, so I know how to teach students and feel comfortable designing and delivering effective lesson. I'm also a self starter- my favorite jobs are always those in which I'm in charge of directing myself and how to get my work done.
I really enjoy volunteering, especially with kids! For a couple years in high school, I helped coach a team of students for a mathematics competition, which was a blast. I loved teaching them new concepts and seeing their faces light up when they understood. Also, finding activities that they would enjoy was a fun challenge. I have also taken the opportunity to work with kids during college. That volunteer opportunity is less about teaching, but I still get the chance to read with kids and play with them, which makes my day every time!
In terms of my personality, I'm a little more on the quiet side when you first meet me, but I do love to get to know people over time. I like to have fun, which sometimes means hanging out with people, but also means watching a movie by myself. The most important things to me are enjoying my life and continuing to learn, which I hope to do by gaining more real-world experience as an English teacher.