I have been involved in some form of teaching, coaching, or education during most of my adult life. I have worked in American public schools near a military base in North Carolina, in rural Ohio, and in the inner-city of Philadelphia. I've also spent the past year teaching English online to students from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Taiwan, and many other countries. Though informal, I have also tutored many Spanish speakers on language exchange apps during that same span.
My own struggles in trying to learn a foreign language have guided my approach to teaching a foreign language. I know that students that have studied a language usually are searching for two things: (1) informed answers to their questions, and (2) information that they will not find in a textbook. I come to my lessons prepared to give this type of feedback, and avoid awkward time- and money-wasting pauses.