Our teacher profiles section this month focuses on two dedicated teachers at TALK Miami. At TALK English Schools, we believe that having that great teacher who cares about the students and is committed to helping them achieve their goals means that students will not only attain their English learning goals, but they will also have a positive and happy experience both in the classroom and in their lives outside of, and beyond the classroom.  The subjects of our teacher profiles, Reinaldo Hernandez and Jacquelyn Brown, reflect this combination of quality, commitment and caring at TALK English Schools.

Teacher Profiles – Focus on TALK Miami’s Terrific Teachers

TALK English School in Miami’s ESOL instructor, Reinaldo Hernandez, has been with the school for just over 5 years and is not only held in great affection by students and staff alike but, like all out teachers at the school, has proved to be an amazingly effective and dedicated educator.

A native Spanish speaker, Reinaldo loved the English language and learnt it very early on in his life in Cuba. “I graduated as an English teacher in Havana, Cuba in July/1976.’ This is where his career began.  His 40 years of teaching English has since taken him to Argentina, New York and Miami.

In Miami he became a full time professor at Miami Dade College.

“I began working at Talk Miami English School in Jan/ 2011. I am   certain  if I  asked to make a list of the names of the schools I have worked for throughout the years which have made me feel at my best, undoubtedly Talk English School would be number one.

“My professional experience is highly appreciated here at Talk. This school has provided me with the teaching aids I have always dreamed about. The updated technology we currently use at Talk has the needs of both our students and teachers in mind. These resources are invaluable to my professional growth.”

That much-talked-about TALK atmosphere and spirit of friendliness, support and dedication is something that Reinaldo says is unique. As he puts it:

“The relationship with Carola and Valeria, our staff at Miami Center is excellent.  Additionally, the relationship with all the teachers is second to none. We treat our students with respect and embrace their cultural diversities.”

We are so proud to have Jacquelyn Brown, who has taught at TALK English School located at Brickell Avenue, Miami for four years, as a member of our teaching staff.  Her superb qualifications and diverse teaching experiences as an ESOL educator represent the high academic standards to which TALK is committed.

Jackie has been an ESOL instructor since 1996. A native English speaker who is fluent in Spanish, Jackie has worked in Honolulu, Hawaii, in Germany in the cities of Bremen and Cologne, and in Spain in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona where she taught general, business English, and Cambridge exam preparation courses to adults.

Jackie graduated with a B.A. Liberal Studies: TESOL from the University of Miami at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii, and she then went onto to obtain a Master in Education at Strayer University with a concentration in Adult Education and Development.  Her academic qualifications also include CELTA Certification (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and as a certified Cambridge Oral Examiner for the FCE and CAE (Cambridge exams).

“I love my job!” says Jackie, “I work with a fantastic teaching and management staff. It is my passion teaching international students and playing a part in their personal growth as they work towards achieving their English language goals. Also, working with adult students that come to the classroom with a wealth of life and work experience, I feel that I learn as much from my students as I teach them.”

“The academic standards at TALK Academy of Languages are high and we are provided with the necessary tools to provide a fun, dynamic, interactive, and successful learning experience and environment for our students. Some of the tools we use in the classroom are; interactive smart boards, internet websites like NPR, Ted TALKS, and News in Levels), current texts, real world issues, and cultural excursions, etc.”

Jackie has also been involved in ESOL curriculum development and teaches TOEFL at TALK. She loves this aspect of the job:

“I also teach TOEFL and find this class particularly rewarding because it gives me an opportunity to prepare them for a university education in English here in the USA. It is very rewarding to watch them move forward in their educational aspirations after passing the TOEFL and gaining entrance into undergraduate and graduate programs here in the USA.”

Jackie’s commitment and dedication to adult education extend to her many and varied activities outside of TALK Miami. She teaches adult refugees from various countries part-time in a program call REVEST.

We believe that it is individuals like Jackie and Reinaldo, with their dedication to the objectives of making other people’s lives richer and more rewarding who deserve all the accolades and admiration! We at TALK so appreciate our teachers who bring so much experience, dedication and personality to each and every one of our schools.