Leeann D

Leeann D Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Leeann! Why don’t you start with a quick introduction.

A. Hey there! I’m a teacher, a wanna be gamer, and what I would call a hybrid mix between geek and an adventurer. Oddly enough, I became a teacher out sheer anger of what I witnessed in school. I was always a good student, getting great grades, but I was always so bored with school and traditional teaching methods.
As I grew up, I became known for always trying to do the impossible. Even now, my significant other claims that I have a habit of complaining about things that don’t exist and then creating it myself. I was interested in the arts, I studied music, theater, stage combat, and the like, but it wasn’t until I moved to Montreal that I realized how much I loved technology and teaching. Aside from being a teacher, I also design websites, complete a variety of up-cycling projects, and I spend a great deal of time day dreaming about food.

Q. I heard you live in Montreal, Canada. What do you love about your city?

A. Montreal is a very multicultural city, so I love the fact that there’s a bit of every culture in the city center. Everything is affected by the array of cultures, especially our popular Botanical Gardens. It’s also very common to see a French restaurant sitting right next to an Indian or a Japanese restaurant. Almost every restaurant I’ve been too has served unforgettable food; it seems as if cooking in Montreal has become a real art form. I’m a huge fan of eating; if I could eat for a living I would totally do that. I also love the fact that most people in my city speak at least 2 languages. I often hear people having bilingual and sometimes trilingual conversations on the bus. It really helps me appreciate the nuances in many different languages.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. What do I do in my free time? Well it depends on the season. If it’s winter, I spend most of my time digging my car out of the snow. If it’s any other season, I can often be found working on a website, or playing video games. At the moment, I’m really into the game called Terraria. Other than that, I also like to go indoor rock climbing, jogging, working out at my school gym and I also enjoy watching TV series.

Q. What are some of the main focus points of your lessons?

A. My lessons usually focus on using English in a casual manner. I’m more interested in helping students get their meaning across, then insuring they follow traditional grammar rules. Also, my lessons really focus on what the students want to talk about and also helping them use English in situations that they will most likely encounter.

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about your lesson, “Bite-Sized Reading Activities”?

A.The Bite-Sized Reading Activity was inspired by those old choose-your-own-adventure books because I found that traditional reading exercises were quite dull. Usually, a student is required to read a text, and then answer a question; this is simple and easy to implement, but I felt as if there were a million other ways to accomplish the same goal. An example of one of my reading comprehension activities would include reading a short blurb, and drawing out the key words while paying attention to the descriptors that modify the main nouns. Many students enjoy this task because it’s fun, and it allows them to really check if they understand the text.

Q. Finally, please leave a message for our students!

A. Well first of all, thanks for reading. I’m always accepting new students with welcome arms, so feel free to send me a message so we can start chatting! I really admire your hard work and your determination to learn English. Perfecting a new language can be quite the power struggle, but it’s quite obvious that Cafetalk students are champions who can over come anything!
I would also like to give a huge shout out to my regular students, who have been with me for the long run. You’re all very talented, creative, and fun individuals, so, I’m very lucky to have met you all. It is because of you that I continue to improve my lessons, and work harder to be the best teacher I can be.
I would like to end this interview with a quote from Alfred Mercier, “What we learn with pleasure we never forget”, so take lessons, indulge in your learning, and fall in love with your new language. Only you can make learning a new language memorable.

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Leeann D

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