Trainers
Our TEFL trainers are highly qualified, with
Master's degrees and several years of ESL teaching experience,
including working overseas. They are dedicated trainers and implement
innovative teaching strategies in their classroom.
Here is a brief biography of each of our instructors:
Myrna
Norris, School and Academic Director
Myrna joined BAE in September, 2007,
bringing with her more than 30 years of experience in ESL, EFL
and TEFL. A graduate of Tufts (B.A.) and Harvard (Ed.M.) Universities,
Myrna lived in France for six years, Algeria for two years and
Morocco for three years, and has worked in over 20 countries.
She has taught all levels from absolute beginners to proficiency
and all types of classes, including TOEFL preparation, Cambridge
Advanced Certificate preparation, English for science and
technology, and workplace English. In addition, she has
managed ESL and EFL programs at several universities and private
schools, and was Peace Corps' Education Specialist for five
years, overseeing its English programs worldwide. Before joining
BAE Myrna developed and managed a TEFL Certificate program at
another language school, and regularly participated in training.
In her free time she creates original beaded jewelry and makes
the best Moroccan couscous this side of Casablanca.
Sheena
Bhatia
Sheena is th Director of Teacher Training
at the Boston Academy of English. She has been teaching English
since 1990, when she was a teaching assistant at Douglas College,
British Columbia. During that time, she taught ESL, conducted
group-building activities, workshops, and extracurricular events
for all intensive ESL programs. Since then, she has worked as
a teacher at many different venues, including the UMASS Department
of Education. Sheena received a Bachelor of International Studies,
TESOL Diploma, and Master of Arts in Teaching from the School
of International Training, one of the most prestigious language
and cultural training programs in the United States. She has worked
as a teacher in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Pakistan.
Eric Shuel
Eric Shuel joined BAE as a TEFL trainer
in 2004. Prior to that he had been conducting TEFL trainings for
6 years. Eric has been teaching ESL and training teachers since
1986, when he received his Master of Arts in Teaching (TESOL)
from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Eric has taught English to all levels of
students, from children to business people, from refugees to university
students at local community colleges. He has taught ESL in Malaysia,
Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, Indonesia and various states in the U.S.
In addition, he has trained teachers at an ESL school in Malaysia,
and at refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines. Also, Eric
has been training volunteer ESL teachers at Literacy Volunteers
of Massachusetts for 15 years and most recently has been conducting
trainings in assessing ESL learners to Massachusetts public schools
teachers.
Eric enjoys sharing his experiences with
new teachers and assisting them in developing their own teaching
style as they start their rewarding career as a teacher. He hopes
the teachers he trains at BAE will be rewarded with the same wonderful
travel experiences, meet some of the same unbelievably hard-working,
interesting, kind and friendly students he has had the privilege
of teaching, and feel the same sense of satisfaction he has felt when
using his ability to teach English to travel the world, experience
wonderful new cultures, eat tons of great food and help others
improve their lives; from helping refugees settle into new homes
and immigrants improve their lives and gain an understanding
of American culture, helping business people gain promotions from
having learned English, to helping international students and
immigrants gain the English skills necessary to gain a high school
or college education.
Pat Lilja
Pat joined the Boston Academy of English
as a TEFL trainer in October 2007. He
earned his TEFL Certificate in 2001 and has
provided quality ESOL instructional services to both children
and adults since then. Prior
to joining the Boston Academy of English, Pat taught
at various language schools around the Boston area.
His international teaching experience includes three
years spent teaching
both teenagers and adults in northern Japan. Known
for his creativity and enthusiasm, Pat directed
a highly successful two-hour
high school musical production. Pat has
also been selected twice to teach aboard the Peace Boat,
a Japanese NGO cruise ship which embarks on global voyages.
Combined with other travels, Pat has visited six of the seven
continents and almost 40 countries. In 2007, Pat finished
the coursework for his Master of Arts in Teaching from the School
for International Training. He enjoys long distance biking, being
out in nature, playing piano and performing card magic.
Amatulla Zakir
Amatulla graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of Mumbai (India) and worked in journalism and public relations for corporations and local communities before extending her search for le mot juste to ESL. She completed her TEFL certificate in January 2005 and soon thereafter , due to her lesson planning skills , a leading UK language provider commissioned her to create English language learning software. During this project Amatulla directed ESL and software professionals over four different countries, tested lessons on ESL students in China and created varieties of materials for ESL teaching. Her work incorporated film and prose together with grammar stemming from her belief that when it comes to discourse - accuracy is important but style is everything. Amatulla has taught ESL in India, Pakistan and the United States. She currently teaches Business English and TEFL at the Boston Academy of English. When not in class, Amatulla can be found with her three year old drinking in musicals at the theatres down the street or bird watching near her home in Cambridge.
