About Us

The TESL Ontario Blog Project was created because of the TESL Ontario members’ strong community engagement. In 2013, members made it known that they wished to have a forum to share resources and learn from others’ experiences. Since 2014, we’ve been making it happen.

Our Vision

  • To provide resources for TESL Ontario members by TESL Ontario members
  • To share experiences and educational tips
  • To open up dialogue and enhance learning for both students and educators

Who We Are

The blog is administered by Beth Beardall, Elyse Borgdoff, Gordon Hatt, Barb Smith, and Samina Nazar.  The blog articles come from a diverse group of Guest Bloggers who post regularly throughout a one-year publishing term that can be renewed each year.  We also highlight blogs from the wider TESL Ontario community of occasional bloggers (Guest Contributors).

Hello TESL ON members. My name is Beth Beardall and I am the Blog Manager. I really enjoy being a part of the TESL Ontario Blog Administrator Team. This opportunity brings together 3 of my passions: collaborating with and learning  from others, teaching and tutoring ESL and getting to know people from around the world, and, of course, copy editing and proofreading. I’ve been doing all three both on a volunteer basis and professionally for 20 years.

Beth Beardall

Elyse Borgdorff

Hello! My name is Elyse and I am one of the Guest Blog Administrators. I love the proof-reading and editing stage of writing, so this role is definitely well-suited for me! My love for TESL began at Brock University where I completed my B.A. in Applied Linguistics (TESL). This degree gave me many wonderful opportunities to work with international student programs in Niagara and volunteer as an ESL instructor in China. I look forward to one day having an ESL teaching profession of my own, but currently I enjoy teaching French as a second language at my former high school. I live in Hamilton, Ontario, and am a member of the TESL Hamilton-Wentworth chapter affiliate.

Gordon Hatt

Guest Blog Administrator: My name is Gordon Hatt. My background is in Art History. I worked in the field of public art for 35 years as a curator, visual arts essayist, and arts administrator before getting my TESL certification. I live in Kitchener where I currently teach English as a volunteer with the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Reception House and with private students.

 

Barb Smith

Hello everyone! I’m Barb Smith, your friendly Occasional Blog Administrator based in the heart of Toronto. With a TESL certification under my belt, I have a keen eye for crafting and refining both digital and print content. Beyond my communications expertise, I take pride in teaching through the LINC program, assisting immigrants from various backgrounds in their language journey. Collaborating with multiple organizations as a LINC instructor, I’m dedicated to making a positive impact in our diverse community.

Samina Nazar

Hello, I’m Samina Nazar. I’m excited to join the TESL blog team as Admin on this language and learning adventure. As a TESL teacher, my passion is unveiling effective teaching techniques, discovering engaging materials, and exploring the wonders of English. From editing to proofreading my work will be to help ESL teachers find innovative classroom strategies, assist students in navigating English’s subtleties, and offer insights to language enthusiasts. Let’s transform language barriers into bridges and embark on this incredible journey together!

   

This blog is a project of TESL Ontario.

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