Anthony,male, 54, is one of the great teachers in eHello, He started teaching from 2015 . So far he has opened more that 2000 classes for students. He is a teacher with strong personality, but deep care for students. He has special background which is entirely different from teaching. So What brings him to teach and how he could gain so much recognition among student? During the talk, he also shares us some experience on language and relationship development. Will it be useful for you ? Let us listen to his story.
-Please introduce yourself.
You have worked in the marine coop before, could you tell me some of the details of your experience?
In College I Graduated with a criminal Justice degree and went to the military for four years. When I came out I graduated from the police academy. I then served 20 years in Law and Enforcement. In my 13th year I injured my back, and took a limited position and went in the private sector as a Bodyguard. As a Bodyguard I had the privilege of working for various celebrities here and there. Then I started my security company and made a lot of money, but I was working so hard that I neglected dating. I decided to relax and take a vacation to Asia. The first day on the first leg of my Asian trip in the Philippines I met my subsequent wife in a restaurant while she was having breakfast with her friend, I never thought love at first sight could happen. Fast forward I have been married to the most beautiful and loving woman for the past 10 years this coming January. I then sold my business and decided 5 years ago to come to live in the Philippines as she did not want to live in the USA after we were married. During my service as a Policeman I was posted for the most part with the Boys and Girls clubs of America, by chance it happened that I also started teaching English to kids and Adults alike there. Primarily I worked with kids and Adults of all nationalities. It was just a hobby, but after doing it for many years I realized I had a talent for teaching and reaching the sometimes at risk people adults and children alike.
-THE CLASSROOM
I heard that you have some Chinese blood, is it true?
There is good news and bad news about that. My real dad is half-Chinese who has Cantonese relatives. The bad news is that my father and mother split up when I was a baby so I never got to know him or my Grandparents. In a way each client I work with who is Chinese is a way for me to hopefully provide great training and teaching which I hope as my Father and Grandparents look down from Heaven and applaud the love and teaching I give to the people of China. I pray that they are proud of me. They are motivation for me to provide world class service for EHELLO and the wonderful citizens of China.
Is this the reason why you love China and the Chinese and make your surroundings like this?
Well, it is just primary thinking that I can relate to them because I offer courses teaching English and to make them feel comfortable. (Turn back and point) This is my Chinese Calendar that reminds me of the Chinese holidays. Those are the ribbons like a shrine for the educational achievements of my four children. This is my classroom that I hope all students can feel comfortable being in.
Your classroom actually reminds me some of the tradition temple and wishing Tree full of ribbons in south part of China.
Haha, Teaching to Chinese boys and girls, men and woman is like a tribute to my father and mother and relatives. It is my hope that they are proud of me. Potentially I might teach somebody I am related to! I would not know however.
-Students and interaction
Since you are quite comfortable with Chinese tradition and also teach a lot of students. Have you come across some culture differences while you are teaching since you are a Native American?
Well, What the students and I come across are not cultural issues. Some children are spoiled since they might be the only child in the family, and self-serving and demanding in the classroom and how the class should be given. Sometimes I have to adapt to their personality and get their respect. If I tell them without offending them, there won’t be any defensive issues and we will have a good lesson.
So do students’ behaviors matter more than culture differences for you?
Yes, Behaviour has nothing to do with culture. Teachers need to have the personality that is adaptable and adjustable. I am a nice and friendly guy. If you are serious, I can switch to that mood. I can sense the student. If I sense the 32-year-old woman is very strict and serious, then I help her to relax. You have to smile and reach the core of the person, you have to reach people.
For children classes, some of the parents need to back off a little bit. They need to back up and stay quiet. Most parents don’t speak good of English, so they need to keep their mouth shut. I know they want to help their children but they can do more harm than good. So I say “Mother, You can help your child by getting some water for him/her. Let your child speak. If you speak, she can’t hear me. I am not trying to offend you but I have better pronunciation of the English language than you do. I know you love your Son/daughter, that’s great, but let me teach”, but if you are a teacher lacking people skills this can be a disaster if not delivered properly. However, one good thing is that since I have worked with other institutes before, if parents are willing to pay more money, the children will behave better in the class. This is an advantage for EHELLO. I tell clients all the time. “With Ehello you get what you pay for”
What do you think is the best behavior and best interaction for students in the class?
If bad students don’t respect and listen to the parents, then the teacher is at a disadvantage because the will show that same attitude to the teacher.. It is hard in 50min to change that dynamic. You have to have what we call in Law Enforcement “Command Presence”
You know, Lucy, to be honest, I am a little different, and at tmes I have a strong personality with a take charge mentality. I am always looking for solutions, But as I transform for students. For example,
If it is a little girl, and sweet , just can say ABC, I transform
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~~~~Lucccccccy~~~~you are soooooooooo nicccccccccce~
Can you saaaaaay~~~~~”A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can you saaaaaay ~~~~~Aaaaaaaaapppppleeee”
(Very lovely voice makes Lucy feel shy…)
So I have to transform, as a responsible teacher based on their level that they can understand you, and feel comfortable with you. Let us say that you are a 5-year old little girl.
“Hi, Lucy, yes , today we are going to study,yes,ABC,Yes, look at this slide and no problem”
You can talk with little kids like that! I have to be versatile. And I can relate to kids. Sometimes I turn into “Baymax” for the kids to feel comfortable with me. I can relate to older people like me, or and in between. It is my experience a teacher that I have to have that talent to relate.
In my experience, when I join the class sometimes, I find Chinese student are shy and afraid of asking question to teachers. What do you think about this phenomenon?
It is combination, I think for many students it could be their first time to talk with foreigners, I try to melt the ice by smiling, laughing and tell them my stupid jokes. I tell them to relax and be easy, even drink coca cola, sometimes it helps a little. Because the education system is about perfection in China, and competing with each other, so my class is more like the American way, just try as hard as you can and don’t be worried about making mistakes with your speech in the class. It is ok and I am not going to be mad with you. I would like us to go on this journey together ,we are on the same team. You are on team Tony now.
Wow, that reminds me about your basketball team!
Since you start your lesson, you are connected as a team, build the rapport is the base for them to learn.
Have you ever meet some kids that you can remind most, some interesting story you can share with us?
Yes, the coolest kid is a 10-year-old little girl (Carol) playing piano in the class. I remember the last time she played piano in the first 10min in the class and my whole family watched! It was like a concert. The little kid who strugled speaking English, but when she was playing the piano, it was as if she was a professional.
So this is the reason that you build good relationship with student.
It is a relationship! Some kids like to play music, some kids like to draw. Out of 20 classes, there are 5 minutes that they want to show themselves. So you have to love them and not teach English every second. Actually you are teaching English at the same time, which transitions into more lessons, more money.
Do you have any other secrete to help our new teachers to get bookings?
You have to really LOVE what you do, there are some teachers who want to make money in a period of time and don’t have much passion. I study all the time to improve and be the best teacher I can be. Preparation, Passion, Hard work and a Geniune love for people will bring success.
-TEACHING STYLE AND METHOD
If you describe yourself, what kind of teacher do you think you are?
STRICT. I teach students discipline in the classroom and ask students to do the homework, if you don’t do the home work, it is not enough to just come to the class. You have to submit the work and we will move forward, otherwise, we will stand still.
How do you teach?
You cant make sentences if you don’t know words, you can’t speak words if you don’t know the pronunciation, it is Step 1 and Step 2. Whether you are a child or adult, you are the same on language levels, even though you are intellectually different. If you want to speak Quality English, you have to have Core English classes, PRONUNCIATION,GRAMMAR,VOCABULARY,FLUENCY classes. The cycle of four elements, week to week, month to month, year to year.
So you have a learning cycle for students and move forward?
Yes, four classes. So if you take my classes, The first week will be Pronunciation and Grammar, The second week will be Vocabulary and Fluency. A Rotation of 4 classes. It works for everybody.
There is a Phenomenon(Lazy ass Teachers), that don’t teach English online any more, they don’t teach the basics. I have Tongue twisters for you to practice and I even record them for the student. This is training your tongue for the sounds of English words. And I have homework for theAandThearticle word training classes. I also have a list from A through Z of the most common words that are spoken on a daily basis9Converstaion and on business level),that can be studied every day. The 4thclass is a fluency class of which I have many types of.
In my opinion, Ehello TRPS are really good for beginners, they can also be used in first class evaluations. But for mid to upper levels, we have to change a little. Teachers have to be more creative, you can’t let students read scripts. Talking is not reading. Students can’t form their English thoughts and speaking by simply reading. It is good to read out loud for pronunciation, but reading the script, we are not teaching them anything, other than the few words I have try to read them right now and review after the lesson.
-AFTER CLASS
Is there any other job besides teaching daily?
I coach College basketball 6-8am Mon-Fri. My day starts 4:30 going to the college, then I come home around 9am and then to the evening and I am a workaholic.
How do you balance that? You are a father of 4 and work a lot.
There is no balance, just get up and do what you do. I work so hard at 54 and maybe even harder than younger people. I don’t like sitting around and i like to work.
Sometimes I just don't feel well if I am not teaching, Some students say “Teacher Tony, could you open more hours to me?” I almost always never say no, If i am supposed to have a day off, and she has an exam tomorrow then I open time to help her prepare, I dont start something I wont complete. If I commit to the student it is a true committment to me.
Since most of our employees are younger than you and 99% of our students and the people you met in Ehello are younger than you, Do you have any suggestions for us?
For students, doing homework, find time for doing the homework, just like high school and College, you have assignments from my classes, there is no difference.
And try to work as hard as I do, I am 54, just work as hard as I do. Can you work as hard as I do?
No! To be honest, I can’t. I am not energetic as you! @_@Lucy feels it is very hard for her.
The End
By Lucy Liu/ Teachers Assistant
