During my PhD studies, I was a teaching assistant at the University of Stirling for three semesters. I taught scriptwriting, digital media and an introduction course in film and media studies.
In February 2018, I started offering mostly German classes on a one-to-one basis (Skype, Zoom, etc) via a Japanese platform called Cafetalk. In those six years, I have given over 2,400 classes.
In Spring 2024, I switched platforms and started teaching on Preply, which is a different experience but a huge step forward to me.
At the moment, I have around 35 regular students, some of them taking classes twice or three times a week. I’m teaching (or rather I accompany) children as young as nine, and I’m helping adults to prepare for their language tests (mostly telc), which they need for their jobs, for a citizenship application, or for other reasons.
For all of my students, I’m there not only as a teacher. I’m happy to give counselling if necessary. I’m halfway through a special training to become an educational coach, which will be followed by a training in psychological counselling, if all goes well. Learning is more than just looking at grammar or vocab. It’s also about the mindset, the mental energy, and more. The trainings I undergo seek to help me help my students even better than before.
My teaching is generally unconventional. It is laid-back, and not only focused on the language, but also on the person who is learning it.
