Let’s meet the teachers – Grace

My name is Grace and I’m originally from Pretoria, otherwise known as Jacaranda City, a quiet city popularly recognised for its beautiful, purple-flowered Jacaranda trees and impressive architecture, however, I currently live in the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. I was introduced to EF through my sister who sent me a job vacancy at the centre in Joburg due to my prior interest in the ESL teaching space so when I applied and later learned that I was successful, choosing to take on this new role as an online English teacher was a no-brainer.

I have been teaching English online since early 2018, so it’s been a little over 4 years now and when I think about my teaching journey I’m always surprised at how far I’ve come and my ability to adapt to most, if not any situation, I’ve had to experience along the way – from teaching group lessons and private lessons then being a part of a team of back-up teachers when the online kids’ platform was launched, I can truly say I’ve seen it all and have loved the process of change and growth that each opportunity presented me with.

Even though I have had experience teaching both adults and children, I truly enjoy teaching adults because there’s an exchange – I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. It’s also unbelievably rewarding to see them excel in both their personal and professional lives and know that I had a part to play in that. My approach to teaching is giving students room to make mistakes and adapting to each student’s level of speaking so that you meet them where they are. I believe being patient and creating a space where they are heard is very important too, so it’s essential to train those active listening muscles.

I really enjoy frequenting new restaurants whenever I am not working as Joburg really has a lot to offer when it comes to food, hiking is also a favourite, and indoor activities like catching up on a good series or movie or even reading a book are my ideal ways of winding down.

Learn more about EF Teach Online here.