I have been a teacher my entire life, but not "that" kind of teacher. By "that," I mean a conventional classroom teacher. I began tutoring elementary school students while in high school. Then, I became a teacher's assistant for Pre-K and Kindergarten, coached kids' soccer and basketball, and later a camp counselor and art teacher for a few summers. I remember doing my very first read-aloud in a Pre-K class. It was a book about koalas, and I taught the wee ones how to say "eucalyptus."

A remarkable achievement for all of us. Looking back, that was probably "the" moment I realized how much I loved teaching. I took some interesting and rewarding detours in my professional life, including publishing and Internet start-ups, but eventually, I returned to teaching because it felt right. Having experienced the challenge of moving countries and learning English as a second language, alongside a few other languages (my mother tongues are Cantonese and Mandarin), I felt a strong pull to teach a language, and English as a second language felt like a natural fit. My love for languages, combined with my lived experiences of learning and adjusting to new languages, cultures, and places, has helped equip me. I wear the badges of "language nerd" and "grammar nerd" with great pride. My teacher training provided me with the tools and allowed me to teach in various environments, working with students of all ages from diverse backgrounds.

When the pandemic happened, I was a teacher in a New York City public school, and we quickly pivoted to online teaching. That experience opened up a new way of teaching and connecting with students. I enjoyed teaching online as much as working in person with my students. However, it is not without some hesitation that I "confess" to that enjoyment, given the circumstances. It was a true test of students' and teachers' resilience, adaptability, and creativity. And it is with the same mindset that I have always approached my students, regardless of age and abilities. We work together, we adapt together, and we grow together.