Micah Colbert | Online TEFL Course Instructor

• M.S. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction, TESOL emphasis, D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY

• B.A. Biblical Studies, Pensacola Christian College

USA

• For the past three years, I’ve worked as an ESL teacher for Buffalo Public Schools Adult Education. I teach multi-level ESL classes to immigrants and refugees who’ve recently moved to Buffalo, NY. During this time, I’ve also been pastoring a multi-cultural church I started nearly five years ago.
• In 2016, I worked as an online ESL teacher and materials creator for Go Natural English. I taught English fluency skills to intermediate and advanced adult students from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. I also worked on developing curriculum, creating content, managing GNE’s social media platform, leading live YouTube discussions, and teaching online small-group classes.
• In 2014-2015, I was the lead ESL teacher for a refugee resettlement agency in Buffalo, NY. My responsibilities included teaching work-readiness ESL classes to adult refugee students, training volunteer ESL workers, providing differentiated instruction, and developing classroom curriculum. 

Overseas

• For four years, I served as a missionary teacher in Ghana, W. Africa. In addition to helping local pastors receive theological education, I also taught English and leadership skills to Bible institute students from Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria and developed culturally-relevant educational materials in simplified English.

Canada, Ghana, W. Africa.

I don’t necessarily have a favorite travel memory per se, but the relationships I established while living in Ghana were and continue to be incredibly enriching! Whether it was having friends over for a game night at the house, exploring new places, or trying new foods with others, relationships are the things that stick out to me the most from my time oversees.

Live in the moment. Too many people are so busy trying to capture the moment with their phones that they fail to soak in the sights, sounds, smells, and thrill of it all. Open up your heart and home to the local people. You will learn far more from them about the culture than you will from anyone else.

If you are interested in teaching abroad, I would definitely encourage you to read, “Teaching Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching” by Judith and Sherwood Lingenfelter. This book is essential if you want to maximize your time as a teacher and cultural learner oversees.