Category: Meet EC SF Teachers

A bit about Bruce Oberon

Category: Meet EC SF Teachers, Uncategorized

  1. Introduce yourself in a few words. Hello. My name is Bruce Oberon. I got my BA in English at UC Santa Barbara and have been teaching ESL for a bit over 8 years now. I’ve been with EC since the end of 2018. 2. What’s your favorite skill to teach? I love teaching grammar as well as vocabulary, especially more informal vocabulary. But if I had to choose one skill in particular it would probably be phrasal verbs since they’re a good combination of both! And they’re so darn useful! 3. What’s the hardest part about being a teacher? Maybe the hardest part about being a teacher is the pressure to be in the students’ good graces. Students seem to often talk rather openly about who their favorite teachers are and who they think are the best teachers. I think this reflects the need for a teacher to be motivated and motivating, as well as dynamic, interesting, entertaining, knowledgeable, etc. We’re all together in the same room for four hours, day in and day out, so we as teachers must be able to capture and hold each student’s attention at all times! However, I do think there is something to be said for the boring teacher who gets the job done, as well as for students who are self-motivated, regardless of the teacher. 4. What’s your favourite “success story”? I can’t take credit for the real success stories. As mentioned above, the best students are those who are self-motivated, and it’s really awesome to be a part of that. They do well with any teacher, because in a sense they are their own teachers and understand that they are responsible for their own progress. When these students take their education into their own hands you see them improve really … Read more

An Interview with Teacher Gregory Breese

Category: EC San Francisco, Meet EC SF Teachers

ATTENTION everyone!!! The long waited interview is OUT now! Rafael and Alex, our awesome student ambassadors, conducted an interview with our most famous teacher Gregory. Gregory is our teacher since 2013. He’s Australian American. He is strict but the most loved! He’s currently teaching Advanced and Pre-Advanced Levels. He is also teaching afternoon classes; Grammar & Get Talking. Please enjoy reading… What do you like most about being a teacher at EC? I’ve always loved teaching, and the thing I love the most is seeing and bringing alive students’ ideas and thoughts about specific topics.   What’s your favorite skill to teach? How to be polite, how to thin,k and how to speak fluently and properly.   What’s the hardest part about being a teacher? Coming up with new ideas constantly during every class.   What’s your favorite “success story”? Made some students think and act differently from when they had arrived.   Beside English, what do you make sure you educate your students about? Gender equality, how to really think differently and how to see the world in a different way.   What is something you wish you teach in your classroom but can’t? Nothing! In my class we can talk about everything!! I’m open to every kinds of topic!   What’s a word / phrase that you repeat so much in your classroom? “What’s a YEAH?” “We don’t say fine/good/great/like in my class!” “Like?!” “Cause or because?” “Everybody gets a point!” “Story time!” “You said YEAHHHH!!!” Oh my Gregory! That was a great interview. Thanks to Alex and Rafael and of course thanks Gregory! If you want to be part of our student ambassador team and have access to interview our teachers, please sign up for English Courses in San Francisco  

A Farewell Interview with Teacher Rob

Category: EC San Francisco, Meet EC SF Teachers, Student Ambassador

Can you introduce yourself in a few words? Hi, my name is Rob. I’m a teacher here at EC SF. I have an English degree as a qualification for teaching. I also worked as an editor and a writer and took the CELTA course. I am now a CELTA qualified English teacher. I taught here 4 or 5 years. But before coming here, I also taught for about a year and half in London, and for about a year in LA. What do you like most about being a teacher at EC? I enjoy talking with different students that I encounters every day, because I learn from them through conversations with them. I usually ask them questions about their experiences. What is your favorite skill to teach? I love reading. So I like to introduce new things to students that they might never read before. But I also like listening to clips, audio, Youtube, TV and music to drill pronunciation. I likes listening to eclectic music. What is the hardest part about being a teacher? When sometimes the students ask him the question, he doesn’t come up with the answer immediately, you have to go away and he has to check the answer. It’s a difficult part of teaching. What do you consider a “success story”? When I see the students who struggled a lot understanding and communicating in English after I teach them, which is the most rewarding. What is the best advice you’ve been given about teaching? Just carry on. Teaching is sometimes like war. I have a plan at the begging, but when the things are about to start, the plan goes away. What is something you wish you teach in your classroom but you can’t? I think higher and more challenging lessons that help students flex their muscles … Read more

Kelsey

Meet Teacher Kelsey!

Category: EC San Francisco, EC SF Academics, Meet EC SF Teachers / Tags: , ,

There have been several changes in teaching staff lately at EC San Francisco. The school has recently welcomed a new teacher, Kelsey! Here’s a little bit about her. Kelsey Miller has earned a Master’s in Education from Stanford University as well as a CELTA certification from Cambridge University. She is thrilled to be sharing her passion for the English language and language learning with students at EC English. Kelsey has several years of teaching experience and is eager to learn more about teaching English from the many experienced teachers we are lucky to have at EC San Francisco. She recently returned from a six-month trip to Taiwan where she was learning Mandarin in a similar environment to EC. She uses both her education training and her experience as a student to inform her teaching practice. When Kelsey isn’t teaching, she enjoys studying Mandarin, reading linguistics blogs, and hanging out in cafes. We are very happy to have Kelsey on-board at EC San Francisco! Are you interested in studying in San Francisco? Check out our EC San Francisco ESL Courses!

de-Young-Museum-outside

Free Museum Days in San Francisco

Category: Activities, Free Museum Days, Local Attractions, Meet EC SF Teachers, San Francisco Activities / Tags: , ,

  San Francisco has lots of museums. Don’t miss the free admission days to enter the museums! Here is the website to find the information when you want to take advantage of The Free Museum Days in San Francisco.     Most of the museums have a free day once a month. If you like art or want to know the art culture, you should go to check them out! EC San Francisco has an activity to go to a museum with the teacher, Gifford, on the free day every month. He has a great amount of knowledge about the history and the culture in San Francisco. Some students went to the de Young Museum for an activity on Tuesday where they integrate art, architecture and the natural landscape in one multi-faceted destination. Let’s explore other museums together! Are you interested in studying in San Francisco? Check out our Business English Courses in San Francisco!

Shin-Shin

Meet Teacher Shin-Shin!

Category: EC San Francisco, EC SF Academics, Elective Classes and Activities, Meet EC SF Teachers / Tags: , , ,

  In recent months, there have been several changes in teaching staff here at EC San Francisco. One of our new additions is Teacher Shin-Shin. Here’s a little bit about her: Shin-Shin holds the internationally recognized CELTA qualification and has recently returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after four years of teaching abroad in regions such as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Shin-Shin’s area of specialization is Business English, and she has extensive experience teaching at corporate offices assisting professionals reach their language goals. Her approach towards teaching is open, communicative, and supportive, and she is excited to be the newest member of the EC San Francisco team. When Shin-Shin isn’t working, she can be found at art museums, attending food and social justice events, or hiking. We are so happy to have Shin-Shin on-board and can’t wait to get her on more classes once the new year season hits! Are you interested in studying in San Francisco? Check out our Intensive English Courses in San Francisco!

Meet Teacher Andy!

Category: EC San Francisco, EC SF Academics, Elective Classes and Activities, Meet EC SF Teachers

  In recent months, there have been several changes in teaching staff here at EC San Francisco.  One of our new additions is Teacher Andy. Here’s a little bit about him: Andrew White is new to EC but is no novice to the ESL industry.  He has been teaching English as a Foreign language for more than 7 years and his experience includes teaching exam prep classes such as TOEFL and Cambridge (CAE and FCE), high level classes and he is particularly passionate about teaching history and culture. Since joining EC in December 2016, Andy has taught Pre Advanced and Advanced, Upper Intermediate and TOEFL preparation. Outside of teaching, Andy is a sports fanatic and often spends his time on a mountain bike, hiking the Headlands or playing tennis. We are super happy to have Andy on-board and can’t wait to get him on more classes once the summer season hits!  So, if you’re looking for TOEFL courses in San Francisco, ECSF is the place to be!!!

Teacher Gifford on San Francisco History

Category: Local Attractions, Local Attractions, Meet EC SF Teachers, Off the Beaten Track destinations, San Francisco Activities, Uncategorized

  Everyone knows that Teacher Gifford is Mr. San Francisco.  He knows about everything ranging from the best hike trails to Student Housing in San Francisco.  Just ask him anything about this amazing city and he will give you a great answer!     San Francisco is a city that is constantly redefining itself, which has been a continuous theme since the city’s birth. So being aware of the city then and now becomes crucial for even the most basic understanding of what the city of San Francisco is– and how it has gotten here. In 1846 it was still called Yerba Buena, its name from the Spanish period, when the population doubled with the arrival of a boatload of 240 settlers. It was still a village of 469 inhabitants in 1847 when the American alcalde (mayor) Lt. Barlett changed the name to San Francisco, making the name consistent with the Mission and Presidio named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi by the first Spanish to arrive in 1776. The discovery of gold on January 24, 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma transformed everything (Coloma is 130 miles/200 km from San Francisco). The village of San Francisco transformed into an “instant city” as 49ers chased the Gold Rush, using its deep-water port as the main entry point to the gold country. By January 1869 the population reached 35,000 and continued to climb, as San Francisco became the not only the sole major city on the U.S. west coast, but grew into one of the richest cities in the world. But true to its tradition of transforming and reinventing itself, it also burned down to the ground six times in the first eighteen months after the discovery of gold. San Francisco has gone through several cycles of devastation and rebirth. … Read more

Meet EC SF’s Teachers: Laiza

Category: EC San Francisco, Meet EC SF Teachers / Tags: , , , ,

Meet Laiza (pronounced like “Liza”), the newest member of the teaching staff here at EC San Francisco. She started teaching here several weeks ago, and is currently teaching two Intermediate Level courses at EC SF. To get to know her a little better we asked her to share a little bit about herself with us, and she sent us a note with information about her background and her educational experiences. Laiza has been teaching for many years and so has extensive experience in the educational field, and over the years has taught a variety of students of different age levels and abilities. For this reason we asked  her advice on how students can make the most during their time studying at an English language center in San Francisco such as EC San Francisco. Here is what she had to say, and the advice that she wanted to give to EC SF students: Hello! I started my teaching career in preschool. On my third year, I shifted to teaching college students, and I have taught English and Mass Communication courses in various universities for the past 15 years. I am originally from the Philippines. The country’s colorful history and culture serve as the gateway to my open mindedness, flexibility and readiness for meaningful experiences. Having finished my doctorate degree of Literature and Communication, I wrote textbooks for phonology and writing for college students. My ESL students thought the textbooks helped them use English more, which I appreciate much. My advice to students : to enjoy while they learn and take communication an integral part of their day to day experience. Take each day at a time, get some dose of inspiration, SMILE and make your EC experience a delightful one! -Teacher Laiza We’re so excited that you’ve joined the team here at EC San Francisco, Laiza, and we look forward to getting to know you better in the coming months!