Meet our TEFL tutors!

A big part of what makes your i-to-i experience amazing is the expert support and detailed feedback you’ll get from our highly experienced, qualified TEFL tutors. Whether you’ve decided to study online or in class, you’ll have the helping hand of our wonderful tutors whenever you need it.

With an abundance of insider info and industry knowledge, our tutors are there to offer academic advice and guidance, give detailed feedback, answer your questions and help you with anything you might get stuck on. All you need to do is ask. Simply send an email or give them a call and they’ll provide you with a comprehensive answer and professional guidance – yes, please!

Keep reading to meet our tutors or get enrolled onto an i-to-i TEFL Course today…

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Natalie Ruggins

TEFL, DELTA

Hi! I’m Natalie and I live in Kent in a little picturesque village with my young family. I completed my TEFL certificate many moons ago after teaching for many years in Primary Schools before going on to complete my DELTA at International House, London.

Experience teaching: 20 years, I have worked for i-to-i for of those years!

Where you have taught: I love teaching all types of English and have taught in many different countries around the world including Thailand, India, Canada, Cambodia, Moldova, New Zealand, France and many years in London.

Teaching specialties: I have taught Academic and General English as well as Business English and a variety of specialist courses.  I currently teach 1:1 and teach Academic English online to many wonderful students around the world.

How would your students describe you?  Fun, dynamic, knowledgeable and interesting and I try to pass these traits on when training teachers too, which I do face to face and online within various educational institutions.

What motivates you? I love all aspects of my work and enjoy helping teachers find their own style and flair to support as many students as possible throughout their teaching career and what a great career it is!

Bryan Whitman

MA in International Business, MA in TESOL

Hello, my name is Bryan Whitman, i’m a born traveler, an English and TEFL trainer, and love sharing my stories with as many people that are interested in teaching English and traveling the world. I have been to over 39 countries and taught in 5! I have taught English in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brazil.

Experience teaching: 16 years

Where you have taught: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brazil.

Teaching specialties: I own a fully Accredited English School in San Diego so I’m qualified to teach all types of English, but everything excluding teaching children in my favorite.

How would your students describe you? Awesome!

What motivates you? Travel meeting new people and learning how to make new food.

 

 

Teresa Jacobs

DELTA, MA in TEFL, Diploma in ELT Management, Certificate in teaching English for Business

Hi. I’m Teresa and I’m probably I to I TEFLs longest serving weekend tutor. I live in London these days but spend about 40% of my time working in South India and Sri Lanka.

Teaching experience: 22 years

Where have you taught: Scandinavia, Greece Turkey, Germany and South Italy. I’ve also done a lot of business travel in South America, Asia and the Stans.

Teaching specialties: I’ve delivered the I to I weekend course in 44 different locations – places as exciting as Beijing, Brighton Bangkok, Ho Chi and Hanoi, Milton Keynes, Munich, New York and Limerick.

How would your students describe you? Funny, enthusiastic, caring

What motivates you? I like to inspire my tutees to get out and travel and have a not so ordinary like. My classes are fun. My sense of humour is wicked my acting skills are rubbish but I make people laugh!

Clare Hayward

CELTA, Trinity Dip TESOL and MEd with Applied Linguistics

Hello!  I live in Scotland, near Stirling with my husband, our very grumpy cat Tabitha and our new trouble-maker puppy Rusty.  I enjoy reading, cycling or walking in the countryside preferably near water and creative writing.  I have begun listening to more podcasts lately and my favourite is ‘Something Rhymes with Purple’.

Teaching experience: 16 Years

Where have you taught: Australia, Greece, Spain, UK and online.

Teaching specialties: Exam preparation, Business English, 1-2-1 and online

How would your students describe you? Calm and collected, positive, helpful and there for students

What motivates you? Seeing our students progress & broaden their world (and mine).

 

 

Suzanne Littlejohn

TEFL, DipTESOL

Hi, I am Suzanne. I live just outside Edinburgh in Scotland. I have worked in TEFL for nearly 20 years. I left Scotland, after finishing my degree in Glasgow, to go off on an adventure, and so my life in TEFL began. I taught abroad for ten years in Italy, where I learned how to cook, the Italian language, the best way to island hop as well as making the best friends I could ever dream of. I started off teaching in a private language school, then onto state schools, private schools, university, countless companies where I taught Business English. After a while, I began to manage my own school, which was so much fun and which ultimately brought me home to Scotland. Today I manage my own school, which is both online as well as in the classroom. I wanted to become my school’s Academic Director, so I studied for my DipTESOL, which I gained in 2017.

Teaching experience: 17 Years

Where have you taught: Italy, online

Teaching specialties: I have had experience teaching juniors, adults in and out of business, but probably I have the most experience in adult groups.

How would your students describe you? My students have described me in lots of ways and happily most of this I can share with you! Fun and funny, patient and understanding and often they say I am considerate to their needs.

What motivates you? The magic of TEFL.

Sharon Balani

BA in Education, Trinity Certification in TESOL, MA in TESOL

Hi, I’m Sharon. I first started TEFL by teaching young learners in Singapore. I did this for 12 years, during this time I got my bachelor’s in education. On an extended stay in London in 2005, I decided to obtain my Trinity Certification in TESOL, which then spurred me on to teach Adults. I have since gained a master’s degree in TESOL which gave me the opportunity to teach in a variety of different settings. I became a CELTA Teacher Trainer in 2009 and an Assessor in 2014. I’m currently the Head of Teacher Training and Senior Teacher at St Giles International in New York City.

Teaching experience: 12 years

Where have you taught: Singapore, Australia, UK, US

Teaching specialties: General English, 1-to-1, Children

How would your students describe you? Creating an encouraging atmosphere with a balance of fun activities and learning opportunities.

What motivates you? I am passionate about making a difference and helping others achieve their language learning goals, which inspired me to further delve into adult English language learning and teacher training.

Jennifer Parker

MA EdD for ESOL, UC Santa Barbara TESOL Certificate, TEFL online Training Certificate

Hello TEFL Community! My name is Jennifer Parker, a life-long learner and educator.  I live in a small beachside community in Los Angeles, born and raised in California. Like TEFL teachers, I love foreign language, culture, and travel! Over the past 22 years, I have taught a wide array of English language arts. I started teaching TESOL training courses in 2003, and later joined I-to-I in 2006, as a TEFL tutor. The bulk of my experience has been teaching in (IEP) Intensive English Programs in higher education in universities, such as full-time faculty at USC, University of Southern California and Adjunct Faculty at UCLA, University California Los Angeles. I am currently full-time at Pepperdine University.

Teaching experience: 22 years

Where have you taught: Chile, Argentina, Spain, and Indonesia

Teaching specialties: All ELA (English Language Arts) academic English, speaking skills, speaking and listening, academic preparation (aka college readiness), creative writing, online 1:1, blended and flipped classrooms.

How would your students describe you? Creative, enthusiastic, and passionate about diversity and culture

What motivates you? Education is my passion.  Life-long learning is my constant motivation. My ultimate joy is the genuine happiness it brings me to see my students succeed in their life goals.

Annie da Silva

BA in Languages, B.Ed, DELTA

I am family orientated and a homebody (getting old!). I love to travel and explore hidden gems. Professionally, teaching and training is all I have ever done and wouldn’t change a thing.

Teaching experience: 30 plus

Where have you taught: South Africa, UK, Portugal and short time spent training in various countries such as Oman, Ghana, Mozambique, Dubai, Botswana

Teaching specialties: Teacher training

How would your students describe you? Hardworking, responsible, caring, dedicated, problem solver

What motivates you? Equipping people with valuable skills