Tour around the ELT conference circuit as our team shares conference highlights and session reviews.

Conferences

<p>Did you watch <a href="https://www.teflonline.net/" target="_blank">TEFL International</a>&rsquo;s webinar on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMN4YoqRDW0&amp;t=1714s&amp;ab_channel=TEFL%26TESOLCourses-ITTT" target="_blank">teaching tricks for your online classes in 2022</a>? If you missed it, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;we&rsquo;ve got you covered. Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.</p>

<h3>Play games with your students</h3>

<p>If you haven&rsquo;t been doing so already, make it a goal for 2022 to start including games in your lessons. A fun and interactive game will not only help your students to engage with the content but it will also increase their motivation for learning. For some ideas on games to play with your students, check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-tefl-international-webinar-on-ice-breaker-games" target="_blank">blog post on icebreaker games</a>.</p>

<h3>Create personalized lessons</h3>

<p>This year, try to deliver lessons that are tailored to your students. Think about your students&rsquo; personalities, interests, and needs when creating your lessons. If you don&rsquo;t know much about your students&rsquo; interests and goals, create a questionnaire and ask them to fill it out.</p>

<h3>Provide a clear overview of the course</h3>

<p>At the beginning of every new class, provide your students with a clear outline of the course. Give your students an objective that outlines what they can expect to accomplish by the end of the class and the specific steps that will be taken to reach this goal. Having an organized plan and a specific goal in mind will help your students stay focused and inspired. For more tips on organization, check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-esl-talk-podcast-on-the-importance-of-organization" target="_blank">blog post on the importance of organization</a>.</p>

<h3>Find creative ways to keep your students&rsquo; attention</h3>

<p>As we enter 2022, teaching online is still popular and is not going away anytime soon. In online settings especially, student&#39;s&nbsp;attentions spans are short. Try to provide lessons in different ways. Offer a variety of tasks and activities. Try to incorporate surprises into your lessons! An example of a surprise can be as simple as picking your students&#39;&nbsp;names out of a hat and asking them to answer a question. Surprises will get their attention and keep them on their toes.</p>

<p>Teachers, what are your tips for teaching online? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from TEFL International Webinar on Online Teaching Tricks

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Learn how to make the most of your Ellii subscription with tips from our publishing team.

Teaching with Ellii

Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Before Elena became a teacher, she was a ceramic artist. After working by herself for a number of years, she began to feel like she needed a change.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I wanted to expand my world. Being only an artist did not make me feel like I contributed enough to the world since my work is more decorative than political. I started as a volunteer and loved teaching, so I got trained.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Elena has been a teacher for about 10 years now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she currently teaches online from her home in Austin, Texas. She teaches adults from all over the world.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I think of my classes as my own little UN. Exchanging cultural information is as important as learning English.&rdquo;</p>

<p>For Elena, teaching online has had its challenges but overall, she&rsquo;s happy now that she was forced to learn how to teach in a virtual setting. She does miss interacting with her co-workers though.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I miss the potlucks&nbsp;and the camaraderie with fellow teachers the most.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Elena finds ESL Library to be incredibly helpful. Check out her text response below to learn why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="400px" src=" https://www.videoask.com/a9r8ng91vpvumxzzi7pno3nsn9rly0iztymeawxe" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe>Despite the challenges of teaching online, Elena loves being an ESL teacher.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I love learning about other languages and of course, when students finally understand something that was previously confusing, it makes my day.&rdquo;</p>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, Elena said it&rsquo;s important to watch the news.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Learn what is happening in other parts of the world and learn something about the structure of languages spoken by the students in your class. Do adjectives come before nouns? Is their language a stress-timed language? If you know these things, you can help them faster.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Elena

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<p>Have you heard about the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/esl-talk/id1548652844" target="_blank">ESL Talk podcast</a>? As described on their Apple Podcast page, ESL&nbsp;Talk is &ldquo;a podcast for English teachers by English teachers.&rdquo; In each episode, the hosts and their guests discuss various teaching topics, methods, and approaches specifically pertaining to ESL teachers. Here are some key takeaways from their episode on the importance of organization.</p>

<h3>Organization is a mindset, approach, and idea</h3>

<p>As a mindset, organization involves knowing what things you have to do. It is the checklist that&rsquo;s in your head.</p>

<p>As an approach, organization involves what you do as a teacher. It is ensuring that your lessons are organized and have a purpose.</p>

<p>As an idea, it is showing your students how organization is helpful by being an example.</p>

<p>Preparation is key. Check out this <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lesson-plan" target="_blank">blog post</a> for help with making a lesson plan.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail.&rdquo;<br />
&mdash;Daniel&rsquo;s high school science teacher</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization is important for reaching goals</h3>

<p>Not only is organization important for achieving your own goals, but it&rsquo;s important for your students&#39; goals too. If you&rsquo;re not organized, then your students won&rsquo;t be organized. If your students aren&rsquo;t organized, then they won&rsquo;t be able to succeed.</p>

<p>Use these Assessment Tools to find out what your students want to accomplish with their language learning:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2127">My Language Goals</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2224">Goal-Setting &ndash; Can Do</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Without organization, it&rsquo;s very difficult to achieve your goals.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization can look different</h3>

<p>There are plenty of ways to improve your organization skills. Figure out your goals, write them down, and make a plan;&nbsp;put all your meetings and appointments into a calendar;&nbsp;use sticky notes for thoughts and ideas; set reminder alarms on your phone; or use our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/106/resources/2169" target="_blank">Weekly Planner</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/106/resources/2461" target="_blank">Monthly Planner</a>.&nbsp;Figure out what tips and tricks work for you and stick with it.</p>

<p>When it comes to your students, learning a new language can be overwhelming. Break down what your students need to learn into smaller, more manageable goals. Give them checklists, rubrics, and step-by-step guides. Encourage them to use a planner or agenda.</p>

<p>Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2352" target="_blank">ready-made templates</a> to create your own checklists, rating scales, and rubrics.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not organized in your approach, that will translate to your teaching and students might not be satisfied or happy with the lesson they received.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization is linked to mental and physical wellbeing</h3>

<p>While it&rsquo;s important to be efficient and organized, it&rsquo;s also important to not push ourselves too hard. Learn how to prioritize everything that you need to do. Don&rsquo;t procrastinate, but strive for a balance. Take time to relax and recharge.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Listen to your body. When you are tired, take a rest.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/3715"><img alt="A computer with clock and notes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2017/content_72_Procrastination_Thumb.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/3715">Procrastination</a></h2>

<p>In this lesson, students learn about and discuss why people procrastinate. This lesson includes grammar practice with the future perfect tense and a productivity challenge.</p>
</div>

<p>Teachers, what tools do you use to keep yourself and your students organized? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from ESL Talk Podcast on the Importance of Organization 

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Meet Albania. Albania has been a teacher since 2017. Currently, she teaches Business English online to adults from her home in Mexico City, Mexico.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I decided to become a teacher because I really like sharing knowledge. Plus, the best way to learn something is by teaching it.&rdquo;</p>

<p>For Albania, a typical day of teaching begins with a lot of coffee! Since most of her students are adults, she tends to spend the days preparing for her classes and the evenings teaching.</p>

<p><img alt="a screenshot of Albania teaching one of her students online" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1991/content_teacher-feature-albania.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here is a screenshot of Albania teaching one of her students online.</p>

<p>Albania finds it incredibly rewarding when she sees her students applying the knowledge they learned in class. However, she finds it challenging to consistently show up for class bubbly, motivated, and patient.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Life can get difficult from time to time. In class, students are the most important thing and I try my very best to show up motivated so that they feel motivated.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Albania is a big fan of ESL&nbsp;Library. Check out her video response below to learn why she loves ESL&nbsp;Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe encrypted-media="" src="https://www.videoask.com/ab2a6efxmqnllpefue2iz3cjuwxbjl6x86q4zbct"></iframe></div>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, Albania had a lot of guidance to offer.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Do it! You&#39;ll have a lot of fun and you will learn a lot in the process. Try to encourage your students to make mistakes and to be okay with it. It&#39;s part of the process. Try telling them that making mistakes it&#39;s actually a brave thing. Learning something is the most beautiful thing, but it requires a lot of patience with oneself. As a teacher, try to see yourself as a facilitator and be willing to be open to student&#39;s&nbsp;feedback and suggestions. Try to recognize that every student is different. This will be challenging at the beginning, but rewarding during the process. Plus, it will make it efficient in the long run. In the end, we are all students.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL&nbsp;Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Albania

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<p>Did you watch <a href="https://www.teflonline.net/" target="_blank">TEFL International</a>&rsquo;s webinar on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvnj6qzhimY&amp;t=2s&amp;ab_channel=TEFL%26TESOLCourses-ITTT" target="_blank">crucial skills ESL teachers should develop in 2022</a>? If you missed it, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;we&rsquo;ve got you covered. Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.</p>

<h3>Embrace flexibility&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Make it a goal for 2022 to be more flexible. Become familiar with various teaching methods and different classroom settings. Having a toolbox of multiple teaching approaches will help you to be proactive and adjust when needed. You&rsquo;ll be able plan lessons quicker and predict potential issues.</p>

<h3>Learn something new</h3>

<p>Ongoing learning and professional development is important. Set a goal to learn one new teaching methodology next year. Consider attending a webinar or a conference too.</p>

<h3>Improve online teaching skills</h3>

<p>Over the past two years, teaching has changed drastically. Even as schools open back up around the world, teaching online is still popular and is not going away anytime soon. That being said, continue to work on improving your online teaching and lesson planning skills.</p>

<h3>Make more time for your students</h3>

<p>When teaching online, it can be hard to build relationships with your students. It&rsquo;s okay to take a break from the lesson to just talk with your students and share with each other. Consider building it into your lesson plan so it becomes routine.</p>

<h3>Think big</h3>

<p>Build a personal brand for yourself online. Make a Facebook page, Twitter account, or Instagram account to better engage with your current students. Promote your language learning services and connect with potential students. Think of yourself as a business owner and plan for the years ahead.</p>

<p>Teachers, what are your goals for 2022? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from TEFL International Webinar on Crucial Skills to Develop in 2022 

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Discover what's new or coming soon, including upcoming lessons and resources and product feature updates. 

Announcements

<p>Every year, our product team works hard to improve the ESL Library platform and provide you with new tools that make teaching easier. Here&rsquo;s a list of just some of the important updates that we made this year.</p>

<h3>Content Recommendations</h3>

<p><img alt="Content Recommendations tab in My Classes page " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1960/content_Melissa_Content-Recommendations-Update.png" /></p>

<p>Most recently, we started providing recommended content for you! Within each of your class pages, we added a new Recommendations tab. You&rsquo;ll see a list of recommended lessons there based on the level and age attributes filled out for each class. You&rsquo;ll be able to easily browse through relevant lessons intended for the specific age and level of your class. Visit <a href="https://ellii.com/yumi/classes?activeTab=students&amp;order=asc&amp;page=1">My Classes</a> to try it out!</p>

<h3>Archiving</h3>

<p><img alt="Archived Students option on My Students section on My Classes Page" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1961/content_Melissa_Archiving-Update.png" /></p>

<p>Instead of having to delete students from your account, we added the ability to archive students. Archiving a student removes them from your class and clears up space for a new student to be added to the class. However, unlike deleting, archiving allows you to still view that student&rsquo;s results and feedback. You can also re-add an archived student back to your class, or disconnect archived students and remove them from your student roster entirely. Visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/248-how-to-archive-or-disconnect-students" target="_blank">How to Archive or Disconnect Students help document</a> to learn more.</p>

<h3>Flashcard Sharing</h3>

<p><img alt="Share Flashcards with Students option on more options menu" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1962/content_Melissa_Flashcard-Sharing-Update.png" /></p>

<p>We added the ability to share Flashcard Sets with an entire class or just a few students within your class. Once a Flashcard Set has been shared, students see the Flashcard Set on their dashboard. They also see any notes that you&rsquo;ve included with the set. Watch this <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/246-how-to-share-flashcard-sets-with-students" target="_blank">video</a> to learn more about flashcard sharing.</p>

<h3>Discover Page</h3>

<p><img alt="Discover Navigation option on ESL Library Menu " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1963/content_Melissa_Discover-Page-Update.png" /></p>

<p>To better show you all our new and featured materials, we completely redesigned our homepage. Visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/discover" target="_blank">Discover Page</a> to see new lessons, flashcards, and blogs as well as any relevant or trending content. Make sure you check it often&mdash;our Discover Page changes every week!</p>

<h3>Collections</h3>

<p><img alt="Collections navigation option on ESL library menu " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1964/content_Melissa_Collections-Update.png" /></p>

<p>We created brand new Collections organized by theme or function to help you find what you need for your next class. English Foundations, Grammar, and Everyday Topics are just a few of our grouped collections. Be sure to check out all our ready-made <a href="https://ellii.com/collections" target="_blank">Collections</a>.</p>

<h3>Discretion Labels</h3>

<p><img alt="Teacher Discretion label on an ESL Library Lesson" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1965/content_Melissa_Discretion-Labels-Update.png" /></p>

<p>For lessons with subject matter that may not be suitable for all audiences, we added discretion labels. You&rsquo;ll see Teacher Discretion labels on lessons containing mature, sensitive, or controversial subject matter. Visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/226-teacher-discretion-label" target="_blank">Teacher Discretion Label help document</a> to learn more.</p>

<h3>Speaking Task</h3>

<p><img alt="Speaking Task steps for a student" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1966/content_Melissa_Speaking-Task-Update.jpg" /></p>

<p>We added the ability to assign speaking tasks for homework. Once a speaking task has been assigned, students see the task on their student dashboard. After they have submitted their recording, you can provide them with feedback. Watch this <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/241-speaking" target="_blank">video</a> to learn more about speaking tasks.</p>

<h3>And More!</h3>

<p>For a full list of updates in 2021, see our blog post&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-updates-2021">Feature Releases &amp; Platform Updates 2021</a>.</p>

<p>What was your favorite update that we made this year? What new site feature do you use the most? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Some Important Updates We Made in 2021

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>In November of 2019, Beth was interested in working remotely. She decided to give teaching online a try.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Surprisingly, it worked out. I would have a full day of classes with students from all over the world, and this made it so much fun and interesting!&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="a picture of Beth" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1954/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Beth.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Beth is pictured here.</p>

<p>Beth teaches English online from her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Most of her students are adults at the intermediate to advanced level but she has also taught children and teens as well. Check out Beth&rsquo;s text response below to learn why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="400px" src="https://www.videoask.com/a5qw1ym0hz3osndek3js75uo8g5nrye8hp8w71qa" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>For Beth, the most rewarding part about being a teacher is being able to meet and learn from students all over the world.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It&#39;s also rewarding when a student tells me how their experience has helped them gain confidence in their professions and job interviews.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Outside of tutoring English, Beth is a student herself.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I&#39;m a Spanish language learner/student myself, so I do have some understanding of the struggles and challenges of being a student too.&rdquo;</p>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, she said it&rsquo;s important to have fun and to be open minded.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Allow your students to share their own ideas of what works for them!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Beth

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<p><strong>This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for participating! Congratulations to all our winners:</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<ol>
	<li>Lavinia (Norway) &mdash;&nbsp;Week 1 winner</li>
	<li>Adriana (USA) &mdash; Week 2 winner</li>
	<li>Debbie (Canada) &mdash; Week 3 winner</li>
	<li>Tyler&nbsp;(Vietnam) &mdash; Week 4 winner</li>
	<li>Natalia (Brazil) &mdash; Week 5 winner</li>
	<li>Taryn (Canada) &mdash; Week 6 winner</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Here at ESL Library, we are so grateful for and in awe of our community of teachers around the world. In the midst of yet another challenging year, you have continually shown dedication, perseverance, and resilience.</p>

<p>This holiday season, we want to celebrate you with our 6 Weeks of Giveaways promotion! Simply visit our <a href="http://www.ellii.com/giveaways" target="_blank">raffle page</a> and fill in your information for a chance to win a 1-year subscription to ESL Library! Winners will receive full access to our teaching materials and resources. We will select one winner each week from now until the end of the year. Just enter once to be automatically eligible for all 6 draws!</p>

<p>Enter our <a href="http://www.ellii.com/giveaways" target="_blank">6 Weeks of Giveaways raffle</a> today! If you are a winner, we will email you. Be sure to follow us on <a href="https://facebook.com/ESLlibrary/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ESLlibrary/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/esllibrary" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/esl-library/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> to see all the winners. Good luck!</p>


6 Weeks of Giveaways

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Find fun games and activities for teaching English to young learners and middle schoolers. 

Young Learners

<p>Did you watch <a href="https://www.teflonline.net/" target="_blank">TEFL International</a>&rsquo;s webinar on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CngJcsVT7FE&amp;ab_channel=TEFL%26TESOLCourses-ITTT" target="_blank">useful tips for teaching ESL to children</a>? If you missed it, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;we&rsquo;ve got you covered. Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.</p>

<h3>Incorporate hands-on activities into lessons</h3>

<p>When teaching online, it can be difficult for children to focus. Keep their attention by incorporating hands-on activities into your lessons. When possible, sing songs, play games, and use flashcards. Get your students moving. Encourage them to get up and stretch, walk around, or dance if they&rsquo;re feeling up for it!</p>

<h3>Try not to talk for long periods of time</h3>

<p>When teaching children, be mindful of how long you talk for. Avoid losing the attention of your young learners by not talking for long periods of time. Instead, break up your lesson with different activities and always have a few extra activities planned in case your students need a break.</p>

<h3>Interact with your students and have your students interact with each other</h3>

<p>Get your students talking. Involve them in your lessons by interacting with them. Make it a goal to speak individually with each child once per class. Have your young learners work in groups and in pairs whenever possible too.</p>

<h3>Review the material with your students</h3>

<p>Young learners typically need more review than adults. Review the material with your students each class to make sure they understand the content. Make connections between new material learned and past material learned. Create meaning and show how the information relates to one other. Try to create connections between the material and your student&#39;s&nbsp;lives.</p>

<h3>Praise your students</h3>

<p>Students learn better when they are motivated and feel at ease. Encourage your students and build them up at every opportunity!</p>

<p>Teachers, do you have tips for teaching young learners? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from TEFL International Webinar on Tips for Teaching ESL to Children

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Teaching English started out as just a hobby for Augusto. When he lived in Florida, United States, he taught English to Brazilian newcomers who were struggling to learn the language. He found he enjoyed helping people. That&rsquo;s when teaching became so much more.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Doing that, I found myself and where I belonged. From the hobby, it became my life, my love, and my mission from that moment on.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1828/content_content_2.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Augusto is pictured here teaching one of his students online.</p>

<p>Augusto has been teaching for 16 years now. Currently, he teaches students at the A1 to C2 level in Esp&iacute;rito Santo, Brazil.</p>

<p>&ldquo;When I transform my student&rsquo;s life for a better one, it&rsquo;s the most rewarding prize for me.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Prior to COVID-19, Augusto taught small sized classes in person four times per week. When the pandemic hit, he had to pivot and learn how to teach online. Check out Augusto&rsquo;s video response below to learn why he loves ESL Library and how he uses it in his classroom with his students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe encrypted-media="" src="https://www.videoask.com/advu51tb4bubp4a7qi72zklmt8a9bsbqmx80dvwc"></iframe></div>

<p>Augusto says it&rsquo;s important for teachers to believe in themselves and to never give up.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Being a teacher can be hard sometimes, but the reward is for life. We change people&#39;s lives. We are the ones who change the world and prepare the next leaders.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Augusto

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Twenty-one&nbsp;years ago, Ralph&rsquo;s church heard about a community in Ružomberok, Slovakia that wished for their children to learn English. Ralph&rsquo;s church wanted to help. That summer, they taught 30 children at their first of many English Camps.</p>

<p>&ldquo;We had no idea what we were doing, but through trial and error we began learning how to improve our English classes.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Since then, they&rsquo;ve grown quite a bit. They now have about 125 students from ages seven to 15 each summer, and they have added an adult class.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Since 2000, we have had over 200 American volunteers teach English in&nbsp;Slovakia.&rdquo;</p>

<p>In 2009, Ralph took his English-teaching experience and went to China for two weeks. He taught both baseball and English to university students in&nbsp;Nanjing.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I brought over 50 baseball gloves&nbsp;and some baseballs and bats with me. We had fun learning new words and phrases in baseball language. It was great fun just being with them!&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="Ralph with university baseball team in Nanjing China" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1800/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Ralph_teaching-english-basebal-uni-Nanjing-China-future-school-teachers.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Ralph is pictured with his class in Nanjing.</p>

<p>In 2015, Ralph&rsquo;s teaching expanded even more when his church began providing conversational English classes to international students attending Virginia Commonwealth University.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Providing English classes for these international students has become my great joy! The opportunity to meet students from all over the world and to help them build a community with Americans and other international students is so rewarding!&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="Ralph with class of doctors and scientists wanting to improve their conversational english" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1801/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Ralph_english-class-medical-doctors-scientists-improve-conversational-english.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Ralph is pictured with his Sunday morning English class.</p>

<p>Over the past few years, Ralph has relied heavily on ESL Library when teaching his international students.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The lessons are well organized and offer a variety of current issues and topics. I feel like I learn much from the lesson topics as I teach the lessons to international students. ESL Library offers lessons that are adaptable to almost any situation and are applicable for students at different English levels. They are fun to use!&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="Ralph at a meal with students " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1802/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Ralph_students.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, two of Ralph&rsquo;s students are pictured holding ESL Library materials.</p>

<p>Check out Ralph&rsquo;s video response below to learn more about why he loves ESL Library and how he uses it with his students.</p>

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<p>In the future, Ralph hopes to teach in Slovakia again. He&rsquo;s also exploring the possibility of teaching English in a refugee camp.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Many people in our world live in hopeless conditions. Doing something as simple as helping them learn English can give them a sense of hope!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Ralph

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Meet Rachel. Rachel became an ESL teacher because she wanted to empower people.</p>

<p>&ldquo;For better or worse, language has power. In the US, knowing English provides people with more opportunities. More opportunities give individuals the power to make their own choices.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Rachel teaches at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chinesemutualaid.org/" target="_blank">Chinese Mutual Aid Association</a> in Chicago&nbsp;and has been a teacher for four years. Her students are all adults and read between a grade two and&nbsp;a grade 12 reading level.</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1790/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Rachel_Greenwood.jpg" /></p>

<p>For Rachel, a typical day of teaching in the virtual world involves two hours of teaching on Zoom, grading homework, and planning lessons.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Before COVID-19, I was teaching about 20 hours a week in-person so the synchronous teaching time has shrunk dramatically. We do much more asynchronous work now, so I spend more time grading homework assignments. The asynchronous work has created more opportunity for students to improve their reading and writing skills, but less time for speaking.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Check out Rachel&rsquo;s text response below to learn why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.<br />
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<p>For Rachel, &ldquo;The most rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing a learner reach a goal they were working toward. It&rsquo;s really special when you get to be part of their journey.&rdquo;</p>

<p>She also loves that she gets the chance to learn too.</p>

<p>&ldquo;My favorite part of teaching is the mutual learning that happens between everyone in the classroom, including the teacher. I think ESL provides a unique opportunity to share cultures.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Her advice for aspiring teachers?</p>

<p>&ldquo;I am learning that you can rarely break things down too much. When you spend the time to scaffold and break the material down to smaller pieces, the lesson usually goes better.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


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Melissa Bender