In the ESL+  program, I usually teach Grammar 3 & Listening/Speaking 4 in the summer. In Parsons ESL I have taught 1600/1650 and 1700/1750. I’ve been teaching at Parsons for 12 years. I’m a graduate of Hunter College’s MA TESOL program, and I’ve been teaching ESL since 1995. I’ve taught a variety of populations, including free literacy programs and most of the major Intensive English programs in the city. 

I enjoy many aspects of the teaching profession. Interaction with students- especially those enrolled in art school might be my favorite. Witnessing growth, both academic and personal in my students is very rewarding. Being around creative students also helps me grow as a teacher. I sometimes feel I learn just as much as my students. I also really enjoy the camaraderie between teachers. It can be very satisfying to ‘talk shop’ with peers in a teacher’s room. I find it very insightful and usually enriching.

I typically teach Writing 4 and Listening/Speaking 6. I also teach American Cultural Language for Parsons.

I am an English teacher and performer. Currently, I perform musical improv at The Magnet Theater. My performance training influences my teaching in many ways, from exercises I use to the classroom projects I give my students. I am someone who loves other cultures and traveling. I taught English in France for a year, and Korea for five years. New York is an excellent combination of many cultures, which is part of why I love living here.

I love bringing students from one place to another, from not knowing how to piece sentences together to writing a coherent five-paragraph essay, or from not feeling confident speaking to conducting interviews and making friends with students from other countries. Seeing advancement is extremely fulfilling.

Andrea De Toledo is a part-time Assistant Professor at The New School in the Department of English Language Studies. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses to international students at Parsons since 2002. Andrea started learning English as an additional language in Brazil where she is originally from and where she began her career as an educator. She views language as social action, as language plays an important role in shaping one’s social life and experience in the world. She holds an M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Chichester/the University of Southampton and a Diploma in Language and Methodology from the University of Cambridge. She has also worked as a teacher educator, curriculum developer, and has served as a proposal reviewer for the TESOL International Convention since 2015. Andrea lives in Brooklyn with her family.

I have been teaching Writing 6 since 2011. I also teach ESL courses at Parsons. 

In addition to teaching academic writing, I write fiction. My interests are post-feminist culture, films of the 1970’s, adventure stories (I recently watched every film available on climbing Mount Everest and K2), long-distance walking, and exploring abandoned buildings. These activities also serve as research for the novel I’ve been working on. There’s a saying: “people are happiest when they’re learning” that I like to live by.

It’s quite rewarding to observe students’ development throughout the course, building analytical skills in particular. By the end of the course, they’ve usually acquired a level of academic sophistication that makes my job seem incredibly worthwhile.

After teaching in Korea for 2 years and Taiwan for 1 year, I received my MFA (2011)  in poetry. I currently teach intensive writing courses at Parsons and the New School for Public Engagement that focus on everything from creative responses to academic research essays, with a particular focus on avoiding plagiarism. Revision is key to my teaching, tutoring and writing practice. Editor in Chief at LIT (2009-2014) and Printed Matter Editor for Boog City (2016-2017), creative writing is central to my life both in and outside the classroom. 

What I love most about teaching is the surprising language that disrupts structure. And honestly, laughing with the students and fostering a fun and engaging relationship with writing.

Wisconsin-born, I can still catch frogs with my bare hands and continue to smile on my subway commute from Brooklyn, my home for the last 12+ years. When I'm not grading essays, I'm officiating weddings for close family and friends, and writing about princesses and hunting.

Elizabeth Marner-Brooks teaches Listening/Speaking 5, the Pronunciation Class, and co-teaches ESL+ D Studio.  These, she has been teaching for many years. Since Summer 2018, she occasionally teaches Reading 3. In the past, Elizabeth created and taught Presentations, “Acting for Non-Actors”, and “Be Assertive: Speak Up & Speak Out”.

At the beginning of her career, Elizabeth toured the United States publicly speaking and representing various organizations, including CBS Television Network.  She has performed on stage and in film. She directs and stages presentations. The New York Times and Backstage Magazine called her a specialist in Accent Reduction and Speaking Skills.  She taught Accent Reduction at China Institute and for CUNY Language Immersion Program. Elizabeth holds a BA in Theater Arts with equal credentials in Psychology. She has a Certificate in Teaching ESL from Schools of Public Engagement.   She is the recipient of the Savvy Lady of the Year Award 2013, an organization dedicated to helping women help themselves. Elizabeth is a member of Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.  

The most rewarding aspect of teaching is watching and hearing students' improvement,  seeing the enjoyment of communicating that a student discovers, especially in a second language.  It is a joy to work with, and learn from, such diversity: people from all walks of life, all countries, all socio-economic backgrounds.

I have been teaching at The New School since 1998. I typically teach Listening and Speaking 3 and Reading 4.

I came to New York in my early twenties to earn my Master's degree at New York University, where I met Robert Patterson on the 7th floor of the Bobst library. We became friends, fell in love, and got married. I love traveling, meeting people from all walks of life, learning new things, and growing spiritually. I find shopping, entertaining guests at home, and eating dark chocolate therapeutic. I love to eat but hate to cook. I'd rather read a book than cook.

Teaching is my passion. I approach my role as an instructor with a listen first, react later attitude. I see considerable benefits in exercising patience - helping students with essays, creating lists of priorities, and helping them better understand themselves. Meaningful connections and interactions with students inspire me. It gives me tremendous joy when students engage their hearts and minds in daily life at school, how they build a sense of purpose and responsibility, deep empathy, and empowerment in the context of their chosen major.

Jackie Smith has been teaching  at The New School since 1999. Previously, she taught ESL in Italy, England and the US. She holds an MA is TESOL from Teachers College Columbia University and a BA in English from Emory University. She is co-author of Wordflo (Pearson, 1998) and numerous articles in English language teaching publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, 2 daughters, and 3 cats.