Nicole Pauling, M. Ed.
I specialize in fun and sometimes scary history. I love to tell a good story. I love to create a tale in such a way that you are drawn in and you don't necessarily realize that you are sitting in a classroom. I also love to laugh. I love to be creative and design opportunities for students to connect to other students. I am a foster parent, mom, serial entrepreneur, artist, case worker, author, mom, and teacher.

Educationally, I have degrees in Sociology, Psychology, philosophy, and criminal justice and I recently completed my Master's in Education program and am getting my history certifications. I have run a domestic violence shelter, worked on mental health in a hospital, and did drop out prevention. I worked in the "field" for over a decade before going into business for myself.
A lot of my work with children has involved teaching them how to evaluate, plan, and use logic to understand the world, events, and consequences. Critical thinking is a skill that I encourage and like to build into my classes as well as flexible thinking as both are essential life skills. I am also a published author and have been writing books, poetry, and for newspapers and magazines for over 30 years. I am a certified Common Sense Educator and have training in internet safety and working with students on digital citizenship.

I'm Stephanie Liesel Sirkhot, though I prefer the name Steph. Currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa, English is my native language. I pursued a Bachelor of Education at the University of Pretoria, followed by a Bachelor of Science with Honours at the University of Witwatersrand. Remarkably, I undertook my latter degree part-time while juggling work commitments.

Complementing my academic journey, I obtained my TEFL certificate through online studies at The TEFL Academy, a distinguished institution based in the United Kingdom. My quest for knowledge continues as I am presently engrossed in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computing.

In the realm of education, my versatility shines. With a teaching spectrum spanning from Grade 4 to Grade 12, my focus predominantly gravitated towards Mathematics. However, I also extended my teaching prowess to English Home Language for Grade 4 to Grade 7 students. Online, I've found joy in teaching English as a second language to both adults and children.

Diverse experiences have woven my professional fabric. I once thrived as a junior programmer in a software development company, a role that resonated deeply with me. A desire to harmonize my dual passions led me to the intersection of education and coding, where I now impart knowledge on computer science and programming.

In my English language instruction, I employ Total Physical Response (TPR) to engage learners effectively. This technique is coupled with my tendency to overemphasize words and sentences for clarity. When working with children, I introduce an endearing ensemble of cuddly toys, a collection accumulated since my own childhood. Notably, this assemblage features cherished characters like Honey the bear, Molly the cat, and Samuel the dog, with the potential to incorporate more props in the future.

My fondness for animals is undeniable. Cats and horses, in particular, occupy a special place in my heart. My affinity for these creatures translates into my involvement with animal shelters, where I dedicate my time to caring for cats. Additionally, I indulge in horse-riding when opportunities arise. Outside the educational sphere, I find delight in expressing myself through dance, particularly Ballroom and Latin styles. Though my dance journey once led me through bronze examinations and onto silver levels, my current focus is on dancing for pure enjoyment.

Software development and programming intrigue me greatly, fuelling my ongoing pursuit of knowledge in this domain.

Hi there! My name is Robyn Skinner and I am passionate about different types of literacy and STEM. As a teacher who has taught multiple contents at two project-based learning schools, I have seen learners grow and thrive in all of these content areas when they learned them in authentic project-based learning environments and when they were learning important 21st-century skills like collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability, leadership, and digital literacy.

In my 9 years as a PBL teacher and an instructional technologist, I created, co-created, managed, and collaborated on many cross-content projects that integrated English, science, social studies, and engineering. These projects involved world literature, culture, coding, app creation, CAD, digital electronics, renewable energy research and development, Minecraft, etc. I also organized and co-wrote a course curriculum for my district over digital literacy.

When COVID started and the schools had to go virtual, I was working in the instructional technology department in my district and helped teachers in one of the largest school districts in the nation transition to virtual learning. I am very comfortable with instructional technology, learning management systems, online content creation, and other online platforms. I hold two graduate certificates: 1. Multimedia and 2. Online Teaching and Learning.

Building connections with students online is somewhat new for many of us, but it is so much fun and rewarding too! Classroom management also looks different in the digital sphere, but norms, structure, building relations and incorporating plenty of social-emotional check-ins/ice-breakers are so important! I strongly believe in a student-led classroom that involves a lot of student voice and choice in order to have more student buy-in to the content being delivered and learned.

My certifications include English Language Arts and Reading (8-12), English as a Second Language (6-12), Technology Education (6-12), Project Lead the Way certification for Introduction to Engineering Design. I have a B.A. in English with a second major in Child and Family Studies.

I love learning new instructional and digital technologies like Google Tools, video editing tools, planning tools like GoodNotes, KeyNote on iPad, TinkerCAD, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, CAD, and Minecraft for Education. I also love getting organized, setting goals, and learning new ways to teach global graduate skills.

In my class, students will leave with new knowledge, experiences, and will grow in their 21st century skills by collaborating, taking risks, and using critical thinking skills. I hope to see your student there!

I look forward to having you in my class!

My name is Shannon and I am a qualified Drama and English teacher from Australia. In 2017 my family and I (my husband and two teenage sons), sold everything we owned to travel the world and learn from all that it has to offer. We are currently based in Vietnam and I am teaching English online.
I graduated university with a Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours in Theatre 1994 and since that time have been working as a professional actor, director and teacher. I also hold a Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching (Secondary) as well as a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. I have both an Advanced and Professional TESOL Certificate and hold an International English Teaching Licence as well as an Australian teaching license.
In 2004 I started my own Theatre school called TheatreMax, offering drama classes and productions for ages 3 through to adults and my background in Theatre translates into my English teaching style. My teaching focus is very much student led and interest driven with a focus on creativity, storytelling and confidence building. I also homeschool (or worldschool as we are travelling!) my two boys and believe in people following their passions, trying, failing and then trying again.
I have extensive experience working with students with both physical and intellectual disabilities and have worked as a classroom teacher in Australian high school mainstream and support units. Fun fact, in the 90’s I used to travel around Australia dressed up as a purple fluffy creature called Tickle the Doodat for a children’s group called The Hooley Dooleys. I am an accomplished script writer and have been commissioned to create productions for community groups around such issues as pollution and bullying. I have worked with many community and school groups of various ages and nationalities and in various countries to devise performances for cultural and arts festivals.
No matter what class of mine you choose you will develop your creativity and confidence and have fun!
Please note that all my classes require a minimum of three students to run and can be scheduled at a time to suit you. Contact me to arrange a class today!