Rob Garza

Hello! I'm a native English speaker from Houston, Texas, with a TESOL certification from Arizona State University and a few tech certifications for fun. I enjoy exercising, cooking, reading, and learning new languages. Currently, I'm reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin. What are you reading? I've traveled extensively within the U.S. and abroad, but lately, I've been more of a homebody. I'd love to hear about your travel experiences! I'm learning Chinese on my own and have picked up 750 words. I have had the pleasure of teaching students from China, ranging in age from 3 to 65 years old. This diverse experience has allowed me to work with students at various levels of English proficiency, from beginners to more advanced learners. My teaching journey began with a Chinese based company where I taught throughout 2020. In 2021, I joined a UAE-based company, where I not only taught English but was also asked to develop a short course on programming for children, leveraging my programming skills. In 2022, I worked for a company with operations in both the Philippines and China. While my primary role was as an English teacher, I also taught programming and provided tutoring in algebra. About half of my students aimed to prepare for the IELTS, while the others engaged in free conversation or explored non-English subjects. I truly enjoyed learning about Chinese culture from my students and often found that I learned as much from them as they did from me. Most of my students were very nervous about speaking English in front of a native speaker. I like to spend a little time at the beginning of each lesson getting to know them and letting them get to know me. I find that students become more relaxed and worry less about making mistakes. Mistakes are opportunities to learn! I have also taught students who simply were not in the mood for an English tutorial. Sometimes they were upset that their friends were playing while they had to study. I often rely on humor to make the class just as fun as playing with their friends. I also try to make the class content relevant to the students' interests.